Persona Alternate Universe: Souji Seta's Journey
by orthrosnoshion
Summary: Souji Seta, the 4th generation persona user. The Wild Cards. Is defeated when he and his friends confronted and fight the goddess of creation and death, Izanami-no-Mikoto. Resulting him find the truth about his true origin. Now, thrown in the time of Persona 3 where both Minato and Hamuko Arisato, the main characters, exist. How will he deal with his current situation?
1. Chapter 0: The truth about Souji Seta

**Still debating about upload this story or not.**

**But meh...**

**DISCLAIMER: ****I DON'T OWN P3, P3P AND PERSONA 4.**

**Chapter 0: The truth about Souji Seta**

* * *

(_20/3/2012 - Yomotsu Hirasaka_)

A teen with pale skin, short bowl-shaped gray hair with matching gray eyes and is quite tall but not tall enough, wears the conventional school uniform of Yasogami High and wears gray glasses, standing on his knee with Japanese sword hanging limply from his left hand. He watched in utter horror as all of his friend and lover, one by one swallowed by the darkness.

The first one was Yosuke, his best friend, and partner. "_Keep going partner." _That was his last word before he send to Yomi.

The second one was Chie, always bright and have upbeat personality. "_I know you can win!_" then she was sent to Yomi, like Yosuke.

The third one was Kanji, the tough and strong one from the team. "_You can beat this thing senpai!_" then he was sent to Yomi, like Yosuke and Chie.

The fourth one was Naoto, the brain of the group. "_Don't dare to lose now senpai!_" then she was sent to Yomi, like Yosuke, Chie and Kanji.

The fifth one was Teddie, always bubbly and know to lighten the mood." _You cannot die yet sensei! Just keep going!_" then he was sent to Yomi. Like Yosuke, Chie, Kanji and Naoto.

The sixth one was Rise, cheerful, outspoken, naughty, cute, and is quite boastful about herself. "_Please, you must win this senpai! Everyone__'s __fate at the world is in your hand!_" then she was sent to Yomi. Like Yosuke, Chie, Kanji, Naoto and Teddie.

There was only one left. She smiled sadly to him as she begins enveloped by darkness. "_I love you_..." the kind, caring, and beautiful, his precious person in his life, also sent to Yomi too, like all his friend.

"No... no, no, NOOOO! YUKIKO!" he screamed as he throwing his weapon down and began running to the place where she was standing, tears running down his cheeks. But he is too late. She disappearing right before he reaching her. As she no longer there, he dropped to his knee on the red floor, crying. All his friend and lover now is gone. He is now alone with a rotting, death-ridden, skelleton giant which have many long skeletal arms being who was responsible to all of the incident.

"**Such unfortunate end, now your turn...**" the goddess of both creation and death, Izanami-no-Mikoto or Izanami-no-Kami, said.

Then the teen slowly standing again, he went back to pick his sword from the ground then turned his body to face the goddess. His head lowered and his eyes covered by his bangs.

"Trumpeter, _Heat Riser..._" he muttered as a tarot card with roman number _XX _appear in front of him covered in blue flame. He then crushed the card when he grasped it. With sound of glass breaking, appear a white being with two bird-like wings, its head is the form of a skull, and it also holds a golden trumpet on both its hands. And it doesn't have legs. Floating over the teen's head, it began playing the trumpet as the then covered by green, yellow and purple particle, increased the teen's speed, attack strength and defense.

"RRRRAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!" with a battle cry, he lunged to the goddess with intent of killing her, And appear in front of the goddess in less than a second, slashing down at her skeletal face. Her screaming sound reached his ear making he losing his balance in the air, he then blocked an attack from his left with his sword, but launched to the ground because of the afterattack that Izanami's monstrous hand give him.

He landed with his back but stood up as if he's not feeling the impact. Before the goddess have a chance to healing herself, he lunged at her again, slashed at her face as he shouted "IZANAGI!" while materializing a tarot card with roman number 0, in the way of his sword. But blocked by her two skeletal arms, then a humanoid black blur passing right through it and land a slashing blow at her chest as one of her hand managed slapping his body like a fly.

He was launched down toward the ground but the black blur from before managed to catch him. Then it slowly dropped him to the ground. As his foot touched the ground he began coughing up some blood, then Izanagi disappear from his side.

"I'm not done yet! Helel! _Morning Star_!" he said as he crushed another tarot card with roman number _XVII._ Then the six winged angel descending from upward and immediately touch it's forehead with his index finger. Causing a rather golden colored large explosions that hit Izanami head on and destroyed the ground. Unfortunately for him, the explosion also caught him, and then he be blasted away a few meters, resulting his uniform burned.

Barely standing, he watched as the smoke dissipated, only to find her unscathed. He then fell to his knee, barely unconscious.

"**Goodbye... Accept the reality of your death..." **As the Goddess of creation and death said that, darkness begins covering him.

"_I am sorry guys... it's seemed that I cannot defeat her..._" he said in his mind as he dragged into the darkness.

* * *

(_The teen P.O.V_)

He found himself inside dark place filled with fog. He cannot move or speak, he feel like he is a doll, lifeless body. Then he heard a familiar voice calling to him.

"ji... aster... Souji... Master Souji!"

* * *

(_Velvet Room_)

"Master Souji!" said a woman with platinum blonde hair, pale skin and golden eyes. She is dressed entirely in dark blue with matching high heel shoes and uses black and golden accessories. Additionally, she carries a purple book, entitled 'Le Grimoire'.

"Master Souji! Wake up!" she said again, this time the teen named Souji Seta opened his eyes slowly. And greeted by a pair of golden iris looking back at him, close enough to his face. And successfully making him backed his head away too quickly and hit the upper end of a chair.

"Oww..." he groaned as he stroked his head. "Margaret..?"

"Good, you're awake now." Said Margaret. Sound's relieved.

Souji then looked around, found out that he is indeed inside the Velvet Room that shaped as limousine.

"Why I 'am here... the last thing I remember is..." he trailed off. "IZANAMI!" He shouted as he stood up from the chair as his whole memory rushed back to him, he then began breathing heavily. His friends swallowed by the darkness and were sent to Yomi. They were dead. He was dead, killed by the goddess of creation and death. And all the humanity shares the same fate like his friend and him. He began clutched his chest, the pain on his heart is unbearable. His breathing becomes more ragged as the increased second. He then fell down to his knee.

"It's... my fault... it's... all my fault..." he said while he gasped.

"Master Souji! Please calm down!"

"How I can calm Margaret!" Souji yelled. "They all just died! They died one by one in front of my eyes! Yosuke, Chie, Kanji, Naoto, Teddie, Rise even Yukiko... and the rest from the outside of the TV world die! And that is my fault... it's because I'm too obsessed with finding the truth! I should know the consequences of my action! I should have known my limit!" he shouted.

"It's wasn't your fault." Margaret said as she knelled down in front of him. "You've tried everything you can." Then slowly she begins hugging him." Just let it all out."

For a few second he just silent, then a sobbing sound can be heard from him, he finally broke down and cried on Margaret shoulder.

"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I failed you guys... I failed to protect what is important to me..." he said while he sobbing.

"It's okay..." she calm him down. "You already done anything you can..."

He cried for a few minute, after he really calm down she released him and help him stood up.

"Heh, some wild card I'm... failed because of the consequence of my own action. Anyway... thanks Margaret... I really need that" he said to her with still red eyes because of tears, then began sit down to the chair as Margaret also sit on the sofa.

"You're welcome Master Souji." She smiled at him.

"So... Igor, why I am here? Shouldn't I have been died?" he asked to the owner of the velvet room, who has appearance of a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears, and bulging, bloodshot eyes. He wears a black suit with white gloves.

Igor, who had been watched the entire scene with his oh so ever presenting grin, just answered "It is seem your contract is still applying... and also, the consequences of your action will determine by your action once again..."

"You mean my journey still hasn't met its end?" Souji asked wide eyes.

"Of course... only if you want to continue. You are free to choose whatever decision you made... and, you also must know the consequence of your action will affect your outcome..." Igor answered.

"So if I choose to continue, I get a second chance to save everyone?" Souji asked with a hope in his voice.

As he asked that question, Igor and Margaret looked uneasy. Then look at each other.

"Regarding your question... and your unique circumstances... Let's my master the one who answer your question..." said Igor, no longer grinned.

"Your master? I thought you own this place?"

"Actually, I am the one who create this place." Said a man voice behind Souji, making him nearly jumped from his seat. He then look behind, only meet a face to face with a white mask.

"GYAAAAAAA!" He screamed in surprised. "A GHOST!" he blurted out, causing the man, Margaret and even Igor, sweatdropped.

"Really? After facing shadows and even a deity, you scared of ghost, Souji Seta?" the man asked, rather amused seeing the surprised look on Souji's face.

"Sorry... "He apologized as he scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. "It's just... that word appeared in my mind suddenly..."

"*_chuckle_* don't worry young Seta." the man chuckled.

Now that Souji see the man clearly, he appeared wearing a black turtleneck shirt and black pants fastened by a belt. He wears three dimensional white masks and have butterfly wing as the shape on left side of his mask which has orange colour. The bottom right side of his mask exposes his face and his pupils are visible through the mask's eyeholes. His hair is dark burgundy shade and made into ponytail.

"Have we meet before? How do you know my name?"

"We meet a plenty of time during your year in Inaba, especially at your classroom and the shopping district near electric pole. And your second question. Let's just say I know more than you do." The man answered

"I don't recall meeting you at that specific place."

"You do meeting me, but I am in different from that time. I giving you a clue, I appear as an insect and can fly."

An image of blue butterfly struck into Souji's mind. "You... You're that blue butterfly?"

"Correct. Philemon at your service." The man now-said Philemon slightly bowed. "Now then, as we already properly introduced, let's get back to the matters shall we?" he looked at Souji as he nodded.

"Good, then. Do you believe that Alternate Universe is exist?" Philemon asked to Souji.

"... Excuse me?"

"You know, another dimension, different time, different world, etc. where everything is slightly or totally different from the world you know of. Even now we already inside of the said another world."

"... After seeing the Velvet Room and there's a world inside the television, how can I not to not believed that it's really exist." Answered Souji. "Wait a minute... you said that Velvet Room is a room located between consciousness and subconsciousness, and also a different world?"

Seeing all the Velvet Room resident nodded, he continued.

"Is there another guest besides me?"

"Of course. We, the Velvet Room resident purpose is guide someone who is bound by 'contract' and aid his or her for entire journey. Until the contract is fulfilled, we will always help the guest, whoever it is. " Igor said.

"I... See."

"Back to business, do you know why that you're once again, called to this room?" asked Philemon.

"Isn't because my journey in my world still not over?"

"Exactly. But not in your world. But your _real_ world." The masked man answered.

"Huh?"

"Like I said, not your world, but your real world."

"What do you mean not my world but my real world!?" Souji asked, confusion written all over on his face.

"Precisely like I said young Seta."

"Then explain to me what do you mean by that!" Souji now half shouted, on the edge of his seat.

"*_sigh_* I thought you're smarter than that..." Philemon sighed. "What I mean is, if you want to continue your journey, you will continue it in your _original_ world. Not the world you _know_ for the past thirteen years."

"...What?"

"I usually don't repeat my words but you're special case, so I will repeat it once again. You will continue your journey in your original world. Not the world you know for the past thirteen years." He said it bluntly.

The room then meets with uneasy silence. Waiting for the gray haired teen reaction.

"You're kidding... right?" he asked with a disbelief tone. "Tell me you're just joking..."

"I'm afraid that what I said is the truth." Philemon answered.

"YOU MEAN MY WHOLE LIFE THAT I SPENT IN THERE IS NOT MY REAL WORLD!" He shouted angrily as he stood up and banged the table with both his hands.

"Not your whole life, but for the past thirteen years of your life." The butterfly masked man answered calmly.

"Why should I belie- wait." He paused in middle of his sentence. "For the past thirteen years in my life?" he asked and Philemon nodded. "Then, the first five year I have before is in my _supposed_ real world?" Philemon nodded again. "But, how?"

"I know that you're live with your aunt from your father sides. Tell me young Seta, do you know how your parents die?" the man asked.

"Because of the car accident when I was five...what about it?" He cringed, recalling that unpleasant memory. Which take the life of his parents away from him.

"Correct."

"But how is that related to my situation?" asked Souji , his temper replaced by confusion.

"It's seems you not remembering it clearly. Well then, allow me to make you remember it again." Philemon said as he then placed his finger to Souji forehead.

"What are- AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!" he screamed and clutched his head after Philemon's finger glow a white light as it touched Souji forehead.

"What *_gasp_* did *_gasp_* you do *_gasp_* to me!?" Souji asked between each pained gasp, his vision suddenly, but slowly began blurred.

"Just making you remembers the memory that you're forgotten at the time of the accident."

Then he blacked out.

* * *

(_Souji's Memory – Moonlight Bridge_)

_"__Mom?... Dad?... Shouko?" a five years old Souji Seta called, as he crawled out from the remain of his parent's car. He had minor scratches, but he wasn't harmed more than that.__Why it's turned out like this. He, his parents and his little sister, just heading back home after visited a friend of his parents in Port Island. _

_Little Souji looked at the car after he was out from it, "Mom? Dad?" he called again. His parents then make a little movement, a sign_ _that_ _they_ _are still_ _alive. Then he crawled again to the back side of the car. "Shouko? Shouko?" his little sister also make a little move, she also still alive. The child glad that his family was still alive after the car they were on suddenly hit by another car and crashed to the side of the bridge._

_The little child then noticing something strange. Everything was green,__the water bellow e__i__ther side of the bridge was red like blood. He began panicking and scared, this wasn't normal. "Mom! Dad!" he called again, hoping that they're begin wake up and tell him that's everything is alright._

_Then a sound of gunshot caught his attention, making he turned his head to the source of the sound. There he seeing two person__s__, a white clad figure with blonde hair, appeared to be fighting a black clad figure with silver dinosaur-like helmet. Far ahead on behind him. the white clad figure seems losing as the black clad figure fighting back, then for unknown reason, the white clad figure seems retreat to another car who apparently also get into an accident while the black clad figure also followed. The next thing happened is Souji cannot see it because a white blinding light appear suddenly at the battle scene. After the ligh__t __die down, he see that the black clad figure is gone while the white clad figure is appeared to be unconscious._

_"__**Well, well, looks what's we have here. An eye witnesses...**__" said an inhuman voice._

_Souji turned his head quickly to the origin of the voices. His blood then running cold when he see the owner of the voice. It's figure is bipedal,_ _Its dark, featureless appearance, with three eyes and bat wings. It's have pincer-like hands and foot, and wearing a golden spiky crown. And short tail._

_"__What... what are you?" the scared little Souji asked out loud._

_"__**If you asked... I am is the**_**_symbolic of the destructive potential of collective unconscious and actively seeks to agitate universe into madness, woe, and discord._**_" __It answered._

_It then flapped it bat-like wind and flying slowly toward Souji. For Souji, he began backed away as he watched the creature slowly make its way toward him until his back touched the door of the broken car._

_"__**Hehehe... you're scared aren't you little boy.**__" It chuckled darkly as it arrived in front of Souji._

_"__Wha... what do you want?" Souji asked again, fear clearly showing on his face._

_"__**What a good expression you have, hehehe..." **__it chuckled again.__** "Now that you already see me, what I am going to do to you little boy?**__" It pondered,_ _while __make __thinking pose. "__**Ah, I know. Why not becoming my little experiment by interfering your life a little?**__"_

_"__What are you going to do to me?" now he really, really scared after hear what this creature said._

_"__**Don't worry. This will not hurt~**__" it said in a sing-song voice as he created a black hole from thin air and slowly begin consumed Souji's body._

_"__AAAAAAHHHHHHH! MOM! DAD! HELP ME!" He screamed as he sucked toward theblack hole._

_"__**HEHEHEHEHEHE! Understand that there is no point in living, little boy. Cry, that there is no answer! Where there is darkness, there are shadows. I, myself, am all of you humans!"**_

_That was It says to Souji before he completely consumed by darkness and blacked out._

* * *

(_End of the Memory - Velvet Room_)

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Souji screamed as he awake with jolted up.

"Master Souji!" Margaret immediately rushed to his side. Placing a hand to his shoulder.

"I... remembered now..." He said between panting. "That night... the accident... that creature..."

"The name of the creature you meet thirteen years ago, in the moonlight bridge, is Nyarlathotep... the Crawling Chaos." Said Philemon, now he stood on Igor left, alongside two unfamiliar persons, a girl and a man, wearing the same uniform like Margaret.

"Just what is _he_ exactly?" asked Souji as his breathing beginning normal again, not noticing the two new persons.

"My counterbalance." Answered Philemon.

"Your what?"

"While I am is a guide formed out of best impulses and desires for growth and hope. Nyarlathotep, however is a monstrous entity born of human evil and desire for destruction in all its forms."

"Then what he means about _experiment_?"

"Actually we, Nyarlathotep and me, were conducting an experiment to see if humans can become enlightened beings, rising above their nature, or if they will completely and utterly destroy themselves. While I continue to play by the rules, Nyarlathotep breaks one of the conditions of the experiment by interfering with the humans and directly manipulates events to ensure the destruction of mankind." Answered Philemon.

"You mean that you view humans just an object to you!?" growled Souji, his anger began rising as his fist griped tightly.

"No, we're just observing to probe Humanity's heart to wonder what lies inside it. Whether it is my ultimate triumph, or Nyarlathotep's." Philemon answered, not perturbed by Souji's rising anger.

"THEN THAT'S THE SAME AS MAKING A BET WITH THAT CREATURE TO DECIDE WHO IS GOING TO WIN OR LOSE WITH HUMANITY AS YOUR PAWN!" he shouted as he stood up and will punch the butterfly masked man face. Only to his fist meet with an invisible barrier between Philemon and him. Thus making his hand injured and bloodied. While Souji himself thrown to behind,

"GAH!?" He shouted as he falls back first into the blue carpet.

"Please, refrain using violence while we're inside this room or there a consequence to it." Said Philemon calmly, but Souji know the man is serious.

The Velvet Room resident, including the two people, watched as Souji beginning to get up with Margaret help and sit to his chair, while glared at Philemon. A few minute passed with uncomfortable silence as the room filled with tension.

"So, are you decided yet?" Said Philemon, decide to break the tension first.

"Decide what?" he snarled, still glared at Philemon.

"To decided that will you continued your Journey, or not."

"What if I said no?"

"Then you will die. And your body will return to your original world. Your corpse actually." Answered Igor who has been silent since Philemon appeared.

"Why not to the world which I has been lived for thirteen years?"

"That is impossible, that world is no longer exist. Because of Izanami influence, the entire civilitation and even the TV world will be covered by fog of deceit, and thus making that world will be destroyed in a matter of second." Igor answered. "And besides, your parrarel counterpart in that world, already dead long ago."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what!? You mean there's two of me in that world?" asked Souji, his anger forgotten and replaced with shock.

"Exactly... The '_you_' in that world, is already dead thirteen years ago, on the same time as the car accident that occurred in your real world, happened." Answered Igor.

"What about my- I mean the parent of '_me_' from that world?"

"They also died the same time as '_you_' in that world."

"Then the sister of my version of that world also died?" asked Souji.

"I believe that the '_you_' in that world has no sister or another sibling."

"... What if... the me in that world is alive when I thrown to that world and what will happened?"

"Then each of your presence will fight for dominance to gain who will have a right to live in that world. The winning side will live, and the losing side will ceasing to exist from every world and will be forgotten by anyone. This phenomenon actually also known as Doppelganger." Igor telling him

After registering those words by his brain, Souji then began rubbed his forehead.

"Are you alright master Souji?" Margaret asked, concerned.

"... It's... just that there's a lot of to take in into my mind." Souji said, feeling a headache coming in.

"Do you want a drink?"

"Yes, please..." he said weakly.

"Well then, Elizabeth?" pleaded Margaret to the other girl.

"Yes sister." Said the girl known as Elizabeth, pouring a glass of water. Then give it to Souji which he weakly muttered '_thank you_' before drinking the water from it glass.

After half drinking it, he widened his eyes and spouting the water which he drink to someone face and that someone is Igor, who sit in front of Souji.

"*_cough_* *_cough_* ... is this wine!?" asked Souji as he looked at the drink which he held.

"Yes it is. Is there something wrong?" Elizabeth asked innocently as she tilted her head to the side.

"Of course! I'm still eighteen, I was not old enough to drink alcohol! Why do you guys have this anyway?" He exclaimed.

"That because the law of human being is not applying to us, the resident of Velvet Room." Said Igor as he wiped his face with a white handkerchief. The look on his face showed that he is not pleased. "Please does not wasting a valuable drink like that while you in this room."

"Sorry Igor... I'm just not used to drink an alcohol, that's all." Said Souji with sheepish grin plastered in his face.

"As much I enjoy the scene right now, we have an important matter to discuss." Said Philemon with smile.

"Right." Answered Souji, no longer glared at the man.

"Before that master Philemon... can we introduce my siblings to master Souji?" asked Margaret.

"Ah! Of course, how can I forget? Please you two, introduce yourself to our guest."

""Yes Master Philemon!"" said the two.

"Hello! My name is Elizabeth!" The girl said happily. She has short white hair and yellow eyes. She wears a blue dress that resembles a stewardess' outfit with five black-lined circles outside small yellow circles, blue gloves, a blue attendant-like hat, black leggings and blue, knee-length boots. "Pleased to meet you!"

"Pleased to meet you too." Souji replied.

"And my name is Theodore. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." The man introduced himself. He reminded Souji of his friend Kanji Tatsumi, but with white hair and yellow eyes. He wears a black-collared and long-sleeved shirt under a blue suit complemented with a blue necktie. He also wears black pants with blue lines running through the sides, black shoes, and a hat similar to a flight attendant or even a bell boy. He also carries the Persona Compendium.

"The pleasure is mine." Replied Souji.

"Now that we know each other name, let's begin shall we?" seeing all occupant of the room nodded, Philemon then asked Souji. "So what is your decision?"

"To tell you the truth... I really don't know..." He answered honestly. " I mean there're a side of me that want to death so that I can finally at peace in the afterlife with all of my friend, my cousin Nanako, and Yukiko, even as we in different world." He then stopped, catching a breath. "And also there's a side of me, who want to meet my real family and my sister. To know how have they been , live with them as if there's nothing happened. But that is impossible... They are already dead..." he muttered sadly.

"What if I say that both your parent and your sister are alive and well?" Said Philemon.

"What!? How? Isn't Nyarlathotep killed them all!?" asked Souji, eyes widening.

"Who said that he killed them? Nyarlathotep just sent you to another world, that all what his doing. He left the Moonlight Bridge after that." Philemon answered. "So do you made up your mind?"

"I-I don't know... what if they're not recognized me? What if they do not believe me? What if they don't need me? What if-"

"Calm down young Seta. We're not sending you directly to them. We're sending you to three years to the past before thirteen years have passed since your supposed death in your real world." Philemon said calming the teen.

"You mean that I will send to year 2009?" asked Souji as the butterfly masked man nodded. "But why?"

"Because, that will be a part of your training and also helping two of our other guests at that specific year. That is if you accept to continue your journey."

"If there other wild cards and it's also two. Why they will need me? I just failed as a Wild Card..."

"To rescue them from the fate that will happen to them." Now Margaret is the one who answered Souji question.

"What will happen to them?"

"That question will answer as your journey continues. If you wish to continue it of course." Said Igor.

"For your information, in the near future, your sister also will becoming a wild card and has the same journey as you, albeit slightly different. Yet she will face stronger enemies than your journey."

Souji considered what his decision will be. After few seconds of silence he finally decided.

"I'll do it... I will continue my Journey. I will not let anyone die before my eyes again while I have the power to prevent it." He answered with confident tone as he stood up from his seat.

"Even if the journey will be more dangerous than your previous journey?" Philemon asked.

"I still will do it."

"Excellent! Then why not we shake a hand?" Philemon extended his arm to make a handshake to Souji. The teen, without any suspicion, shake it with his own hand. But after he touched it there's appear a white light from Philemon hand, then quickly went to Souji's body.

"Wha- what did you just do to me!?" asked Souji, sounded terrified as he quickly pulled his hand back.

"I just give you some power for your journey and it makes your appearance changed. Trust me, you will need it." Said Philemon.

"Really, now that you said it, I feel slightly different from usual. In a good way of course." He said as he moving all part of his body. "Is there a mirror?"

"Here." Margaret giving him a small blue framed mirror.

When he looked at his reflection, he surprised that his hair changed from gray to silver, his face look a year younger than before, but what noticeable the most is his iris changed to golden color while the pupil is still black.

"Wow..." He uttered in awe. "I am really looked awesomely baddass!" then he stopped. "But what about my golden eyes?"

"It's just activated when you accessed your power and summon your persona. It also can scan your ally or your enemy status." Margaret said to him while he nodded in understanding.

"Oh before I forget, your persona is limited to Izanagi only, you cannot summon any other persona beside him." said Philemon.

"WHAT!?"

"But don't worry, he will grow stronger and stronger after face an enemy, unlike the previous Izanagi you have in your last journey."

"But why?"

"Just like I said, it's a part of your training in order to make you into _the one who ruled over power_. Much like Margaret, Elizabeth and Theo here. But..." he stopped Souji as he opened his mouth to ask another questions. "You're free to do what you like, but remember, you must accept the consequences of your action."

"Then just one more question... Can I still enter the Velvet Room in the future?"

"Of course you can. Whoever was bound by contract, we will support and aid him or her until their journey meet their end, and thus making the contract fulfilled." Said Igor. His grin comes back to his face.

"I see... thank you all of you. You guys just give me a second chance to my life..." Souji said sincerely. Bowing.

"No need to thank us. We always happy to help as you remember the term of the contract." Replied Igor as Souji sit back to his chair.

"Now, time is marching on your world. Until we meet again, farewell." Igor said as Souji body disappears from Velvet Room.

* * *

**Author Note:**

**I want to know what you guys think about this stories of mine.**

**The majority of review will decide if I continue this story or not...**

**So... give me your**** honest ****answer via review. Should I continue this story? Or abandoned it?**

**The fate of this story is at you guy****'****s review****. I will waiting, ****until then... farewell****...**


	2. Chapter 1: Meet the Wild Cards Twins

**One chapter and already has many view!? **

**Just wow!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN P3, P3P AND PERSONA 4.**

* * *

**Chapter ****1****: ****Meet the Wild Cards Twins**

(_?/?/2009 – Unknown Location_)

"_Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly apologized to any customers who were in a hurry... The next stop is Iwatodai..._"

Souji Seta slowly opened his eyes, and then yawned. He started looking around him, and quickly noticed that he is inside a train.

**"**_How in the world they place me inside a moving train?! For a second, I don't want to know. I thought I will be placed in a hospital or in a somewhere place which not having many people after out from the Velvet Room._" He thinks. "_Now, I must find out where this train headed to._" He started planning what will his next step to start his journey.

"_Iwatodai... This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island..._" said the announcement

"_Or not..._" he sweatdropped. "_But why in Iwatodai? Even in Tatsumi Port Island? Maybe because this is the place where the whole I sent to another world thing is started? Or maybe because it is the place where the whole world started turning green and the water changed to blood when the car accident happened?_" Souji thinking rapidly, as he began stood up and stepped out of the train. Not finding suitable answers, he sighing, and then he noticed that his attire changed completely. He is now wearing the school uniform of Gekkoukan High, accented with a loose black bow tie instead of Yasogami High uniform which he previously wear.

Surprised by his sudden change of attire, he then rummaging to his bag, which he realized that he was carrying a bag from inside the train until he out of it. What he found out inside his bag is a laptop, his glasses from TV world, a cell phone, snacks, a bottle of water, a mp3 player, an Iwatodai map, and a wallet, which he found out with wide eyes that there 1.000.000 yens cash in there. After find out what he looking for, he immediately pick the mirror and stared at his reflection, only to sigh in relief that his eyes is not golden, but gray like his former hair colour, which now he has silver hair.

Souji then put the mirror back to inside his bag, then pick the cell phone and opened it to check the date and time.

_06-04-2009__ – 23.49_

"It's true... I gone back three years to the past in my _real _world" he muttered, then closed his cell phone and pocketing it, "Well, beggars cannot chose. And they even give me _soooooo_ many money for the purpose of the journey." He then pulled the Iwatodai map who have Iwatodai dorm circled with red ink on it.

"So that's where I will live on for now." He said as he began gulping a bottle of water

While Souji busy looking at the map, he not noticing that there's also two people stepped out from the another door of the train. A boy and a girl. The boy has dark blue hair, gray bluish eyes and a light build, shorter than average. His hands in his pockets, leaning slightly back. He listened to his earphones which coloured blue. While the girl has auburn hair, which in a high ponytail, along with silver barrettes which form the roman numeral XXII. She is seemingly shorter than the boy. She has a pale complexion and striking red eyes. She also has the same pair of headphones, albeit with red accents instead of blue. They also wear Gekkoukan High uniform.

"After ten years, we're finally back to Iwatodai huh, right onii-chan(_brother_)?" said the auburn haired girl to the blue haired boy.

The boy not answered, he just stared at place in front of him with bored look. His mind seems to be absorbed by the music on his earphone.

The girl sighed, then slapping the back of the blue haired boy's head. Making the earphone on his ear dropped and then hanging on his shoulder.

"Oww!" said the boy. "Why are you doing that, Hamuko?" he complained to the auburn haired girl while he rubbed the back of his head.

"Just take the earphone off for once and listen for what your sister had to say, onii-chan!" lectured the girl, which appeared to be Hamuko, the boy's sister.

"Hey! I'm not always wearing my earphone every time! Besides, I also listening what the others says to me!" said the blue haired boy.

"Really? Then tell me what I had been said after we stepped out from the train." Hamuko asked to her brother as she crossing her arms.

"Umm... Something about milkshake?"

Hamuko then sighed, "Seriously, you must stopped that habit of yours, Minato onii-chan."

"But the new song is too good to listen!" Protested Hamuko's brother, Minato.

"I know that '_Burn My Dread_' is a good song, but I don't repeat it after the song finished like you, onii-chan." Said Hamuko.

"*_sigh_* fine then, let's just go to our supposed dorm, I am rather sleepy." Minato said, holding back a yawn.

"Then let me see the map." Hamuko asked her brother as she extended her right hand.

"Huh? Aren't you the one who has the map Hamuko?" Minato asked sleepily

"No. I though you're the one who holding the map?"

"Then where is it?"

"..."

""THE TRAIN!"" they both shouted in unison.

They began turned to look at the train, but unfortunately for them, the train which they were ride already gone. Leaving the twins with a few people who give them a strange look at the train station.

"..."

"What were supossed to do now onii-chan?" asked Hamuko to her brother. "We don't know where the location of our dorm is."

"Let's asking people around here. Maybe they will show us the direction or, if they kind enough, give us another Iwatodai map." Answered the now fully awaked Minato.

"But asking people around will take a long time! Especially now it's almost _that_ time!" said Hamuko while emphasized the word _that._

"Then we must hurry asked before _that _time is-"

Then suddenly the world is totally altered, mostly with the atmosphere and color. The buildings, the night sky, as well as the moon turned into a sickly green color. Humans then transmogrify into coffins. While bodies of water turn crimson like blood or it's really blood.

"-come..."Minato said, continuing his last word in a low voice. "*_sigh_*let's go find a seat and rest while waiting _this_ time to end."

"Okay..." said Hamuko as she holding her brother left arm with her two hands.

As they begin walking, they hear someone coughing.

"*_cough_**_cough_**_cough_* this is the second time I drink something that I should not be drink!" shouted a person voice.

Minato and Hamuko then turned to look at source of the voice, revealing a teenager boy at the same age as them, with silver hair, gray eyes, wearing Gekkoukan High uniform while he wiped his mouth with his hand.

"Hey onii-chan." Asked Hamuko to her brother, with surprised tone. "How is that person active during _this_ time? Wasn't it just the two of us who can active at _this_ time while other people turned into coffins?"

"I don't know Hamuko." said Minato, also surprised. "Let's going to him shall we?" he said to his sister.

"Yes, onii-chan." Answered Hamuko happily.

"Hello?" Minato greeted as he and Hamuko approaching the silver haired teen, who seem startled at the sudden greeting and then turning to face them.

"Holy Shiett! There are people who also inside this phenomenon beside me!?" the teen we know as Souji shouted out of character for him as he looking at the blue haired boy and the auburn haired girl.

"Please calm down. We also surprised as you when we see another person who '_awake_' at _this_ time." Said Hamuko, trying to calm Souji down.

"I'm sorry..." Souji apologized as he recovered from his surprised. "I just surprised as know there other people who inside this phenomenon, that's all."

"Same here. So, how long you have been '_awake_' at _this_ time?" asked Minato.

"To be honest, I don't know." He lied to them. "As far I know it, I have been in this phenomenon a long time ago." Well, what he said is almost the truth. Because he already experiencing this phenomenon while he still five year old after the car accident and before he sucked to another world, so that making him experiencing this phenomenon for what, thirteen years? He then asked. "How about you guys?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, we have been experiencing _this_ time when we are seven years old, so it's has been ten years until now." Hamuko answered him with half raised hands.

"Just why is this happened anyway?" Souji asked both of them, who in turn shrugged their shoulders.

"We don't know, but we just know that apparently normal people can't enter _this_ time because they were sleeping inside their coffins." answered Minato as he pointed to a nearby coffin which stands upright.

"Hey! Maybe we have superpower because all we three can entering this phenomenon since long ago!" chirped Hamuko cheerfully.

"You're watching too much anime, Hamuko." Said Minato while Souji chuckled nervously.

"Say, do yo guys go to Gekkoukan Highschool?" he asked, try to change the subject.

After Souji said that to the twins, Minato and Hamuko then become depressed and gloomy all of sudden.

"Wha- what's wrong?"

"We're just transfer to the school here from Hokkaido..." answered Minato.

"But we lost the map to our dorm..." continued Hamuko.

""You can say that we're like a lost puppies..."" They said simultaneously, making Souji sweatdropped.

"Do you guys know what the name of dorm you guys in? Maybe I can help." Asked Souji.

""Iwatodai Dormitory..."" they said in unison again, making Souji sweatdropped even more.

"Then consider you guys lucky, because I am on the way there and have the map of its location." Souji said with a smile while showing a map with Iwatodai Dorm circled with red ink on it.

""Really!?""

"Yes..."

The twin's mood immediately brightened as they began shake Souji's hand while said '_Thank you!_' over and over simultaneously with anime tears and '_You're our Messiah!/We not sleep on the street tonight!_' making Souji sweatdropped again.

"You're welcome. By the way my name is Souji seta." He introduced himself as the twin calmed down.

"Oh my name is Hamuko Arisato and he is my brother, Minato Arisato! Nice to meet you!"

* * *

(_fifteen minutes later_)

Hamuko humned happily as the three of them walked pass the neighborhood, which filled with silence and the atmosphere is also eerie green. And because there's no electronic device working in this hour, much for Minato irritation can't listen his music from their mp3 as they walking.

"Hamuko, why are you so happy?" asked Minato, breaking the silence.

"Hm? It's because there another person who can active at _this_ time so that we're not alone. Like uncle said, the more the merrier right?" she answered happily.

"If you say so..."

"Everyone! I think I can see the dorm!" said Souji as he pointed the four story building in front of him.

"Really! Then let's go!"Hamuko said as she began running toward the building.

"Wait! Don't running on your own! Hamuko!" Shouted Minato as he catches up to his sister while Souji watched them running with a small smile.

"_It's must be good to knowing your__ sister..._" he said inside his head, while thinking his own sister, "_Shouko, __how are you now__? Are you doing well?_"

"C'mon Sou-chan or we leave you there!" shouted Hamuko, as she and Minato already in front of the dormitory entrance.

"Wait up!" Souji said as he jogged toward the twins with smile plastered on his face.

* * *

(_in the entrance_)

After Souji catching up, the three of them begin climb the stairs that located in front of the entrance with Hamuko on the lead. She then opened the front door and begin entering the room, what they see inside the room is not like they expected, instead of room filled with eerie green atmosphere, the light in the lounge is on, which should not possible, making the whole lounge looked comfortable.

"Welcome." Said a boy voice, making the three of them nearly jumped in surprise, then turned their head to the side to see a young boy, probably aged ten, leaning on the counter beside them.

"You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you." Said the mysterious boy.

"If you want to proceed." The boy then clicked his fingers, as he suddenly appeared in front of the three of them. "Please sign your name there." They looked where he gestured, noticing two thin red book.

"It's a contract. There's no need to be scared." He said, as the book opened up on its own. Then gestured Minato and Hamuko to read it. "It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your action. You know, The Usual Stuff…"

Something is written on the paper '_I Chooseth this fate of mine own free will_' it said. Bellow it is a blank to sign name on it. Deciding to get over with it, both Minato and Hamuko signed their name on their red book.

'_I, Minato Arisato will take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions.'_

'_I, Hamuko Arisato will take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions.'_

"What about Sou-chan?" asked Hamuko to the mysterious boy.

"Don't worry. He already sign the contract long ago." The boy answered her, as she nodded her head, while Souji began thinking, "_Is he means the Velvet Room contract? Then the two of them is the Wild Cards that will need my help in the near future_."

They passed the contract to the boy, who held it to his chest, like a long lost teddy bear.

"No one can escape time," The boy said, looking totally creepy. "It delivers us all to the same end…" He held the contract to his face and continued, "You can't plug your ears and cover your eyes." He turned the book sideways and it vanished

Shadows started growing around the room and the lights started dimming. The boy lifted up a hand as he began to disappear into the darkness.

"And so it begins…", and he was gone.

As the mysterious boy disappear, the light which previously on, is off, making the whole lounge then surround by eerie green atmosphere.

Then they heard another voice, this time is more feminine, "Who's there!?"

They turned to the front to see that there's a girl in there, She has short, light-brown hair and brown eyes. She is slightly shorter than Minato and Hamuko. She wears a pink sweater jacket, a loose red ribbon, a black mini skirt, black stockings with white lines, and a heart-shaped choker. And she has a gun strapped to her thigh.

"How can you be... But it's... !" She was looking at them with intense determination, but Souji could tell she was scared by the way her hand was shaking. "Don't tell me..." with her shaking hand, she began touch the gun on her thigh, and was about pulling out the gun until someone shouted.

"Takeba! Wait!" shouted another voice, a woman voice, but filled with authority.

They all froze there for a moment, and then the lights came on and Minato music from his mp3 started playing, sign that the green phenomenon is already passed. The first girl breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the second girl, who was obviously the more in charge. She has a voluptuous figure, pale skin, long dark red hair covering her left eye, and red eyes, she wears the school uniform of Gekkoukan High, save for the Gekkoukan jacket and a different white blouse with a big red ribbon and black high-heeled boots.

"I didn't think you'd arrive so late." She then continues, "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students living in this dorm."

The brunette turned to Mitsuru and asked, "Who are they?"

"They're all are transfer students. It was a last minutes decision to assign them here. They will eventually be a moved to another normal dorm." Said Mitsuru.

The brunette, however, still looked worried. "Is it okay for them to be here?"

It sounded like she thought they might do something, but something was off for Souji perspective.

The redhead, Mitsuru, smiled, "I guess we'll see…" She then turned to the three of them and, gesturing to her friend, said "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you three."

Yukari bowed her head slightly and said, almost reluctantly, "…Hi. I'm Yukari"

"My name is Hamuko Arisato! Nice to meet you!" Hamuko said with her cheerful tone.

"Minato Arisoto..." Minato said coolly.

"And my name is Souji Seta, nice to meet you." Said Souji, bowed his head slightly. The three of them introduced themself, not bothered by the fact that she have a gun.

She seemed almost taken back by this, "Uh, y-yeah…" she bowed again. "Nice to meet you guys too." this time with a smile on her face.

"Is this the girl's dorm?" asked Minato.

"No, it's not, but..." Yukari then looked at Mitsuru, "Umm, how should I explain it... ?"

"Unlike the other buildings, this one's co-ed. It's not your typical dorm, though. I'll explain it to you three later when I get the chance." Mitsuru explained.

"Is that a real gun? Why do you have it?" this time Hamuko asked Yukari with curious expression.

"Huh?" Yukari expression then looked panic, "Um, well, It's sorta like a hobby... ? Well, not a hobby, but..."

Fortunatelly for Yukari, Mitsuru said for her, "You know how it is these days... It's for self-defense. It's not a real gun, of course." She tells Hamuko and the two guys as the twin nodded but Souji still suspicious. "It's getting late, so you three should get some rest." Mitsuru said to them then turned to Hamuko, "Is it okay if I adress you as Arisato's-imouto(_Little sister_)? So that I can't confused you by your and your brother familly name?"

"It's okay! No problem!"

"Very well then." Mitsuru nodded as he look at the three of them. "It's getting late, so you three should get some rest." She said. "Arisato's imouto, your room is on the third floor, at the end of the hallway while Seta and Arisato's room on the second floor, also at the end of the hallway, yours things should already be there."

She then turned to Yukari, who seemed to take the hint and say "Oh, I'll show you guys the way, follow me." As she gestured them to follow her.

They then went to the second floor with Yukari on the lead, leaving Mitsuru alone in the lounge.

The trip to the second floor is filled with silence, each one seem in deep in thought respectively. Before they know it, they already there. "This is it," Yukari told the two guys. "Pretty easy to remember huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall. And you guys room is on the opposite of each other." Yukari said to Souji and Minato as she laughed slightly at her little joke, but it seemed almost fake to Minato and Souji "Oh yeah, make sure you guys not lose your key, or you two never hear the end of it."

"So, any questions?" she asked the three of them.

"What's that contract for?" asked Souji, to confirm his suspicion of the term of the contract.

"Huh?" Yukari was clearly surprised. "What contract?" She doesn't seem to know what Souji talking about.

"The contract that said '_I_ _will take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions.'_ thingie, we sign it but Sou-chan alredy sign it long time ago." Hamuko answered Yukari.

"Contract? Sign it? What are you guys talking about?" asked Yukari, confused.

"The one that kid gave us before we met you." Answered Minato.

"What kid? What are you talking about? ... C'mon, it's not funny." Yukari beginning to feel scared.

"_It seems that she really doesn't know... then that's confirming my suspicion, that it is the contract of the Velvet Room and the two of them is really Wild Cards, the ability to summon multiple persona... but who was that kid? Why I never seen he in the Velvet Room?_" Souji said in his mind while adopted a thinking pose.

Yukari seemed to be a bit worried about them now. "Hey… Can I ask you guys something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

Before the twins can answered, Souji lied to her, "What do you mean?"

"You know what I- Never mind…" The girl smiled. "It seems like you're alright."

She seemed genuinely happy for them, as if they'd avoided some grim fate. "Well, we better get going to show your room Hamuko-chan…" she said to Hamuko, who seem alright as Yukari called her by suffix -chan

With that, she began to walk away, but stopped outside the next door. She turned back, "Um… I'm sure you guys have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay?" She made a quick smile "Good night."

"Night onii-chan! Night Sou-chan!" said Hamuko as the two girls walked away and up the stairs.

"Good night you two." Answer Souji while Minato answered with a nod. "Well then, I will go to sleep. Good night Souji-kun" he said to him as he opened the door to his room.

"You too Minato-san." He said as both of them entered their respective room.

As Souji closed the door of his room, he immediately checks around the room. There's a bed, a study desk, a TV (_Which he tempted to put his hand on the screen to see if the power to go to the TV world is still with him_), a mini fridge, wash basin, a mirror, a wardrobe which attached to the wall and some cardboard boxes, which maybe is his things inside of it, "_Maybe Philemon is the one who responsible to take care of my things._" He thinks as he look at one of boxes, then notices there was a letter on top of it.

With wonder he took the letter, there's no sender or postage so that means this letter not sent to him via post. Shrugging, he began open the envelope and reading what is written in the paper.

_Dear young Souji __Seta,_

_You must be wondered about what inside the boxes, don't worry it's just your old stuff from the world you live in for thirteen years. And about your identity, I know you will introduced your real name to the people you have meet, so that I make some false document about your identity for your need to enroll the high school as a second year. So, inside that document as if you will be a transfer student from Indonesia who live with his uncle and his aunt who work in __there __because your parent die from plane accident, you is just a Japanese person who live in Indonesia for __thir__teen years and back to Japan to continue your education. But you can tell the truth to someone if the time is come. That's what all I need to tell you. Until we meet again._

_Sincerely,_

_Philemon._

"Well, that will be easier for my predicament then. Thank you." Said Souji after he read the letter. Then tore the letter into small pieces so that no one else can read it. "Now, it's time to sleep!" he said as he begins jumped to the bed, and then fast asleep, without changing his uniform first.

* * *

(_07/04/2009 – Souji's Room_)

He groaned as the sunlight pierced through the windows, hitting him right in the eyes, making him woke up groggily. He then hears knocking sound from his door.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?"

It took him a moment to register those words, "Wait a moment!" Souji shouted as he stood up, then walking to the door and opened it. Revealing a smiling Yukari, a cheerfull Hamuko, and half asleep Minato.

"Good morning. Did you sleep okay?" asked Yukari.

"Yeah.*_yawn_* very restful in fact." Souji said half asleep, ccovered his mouth with his hand while yawned. He actually is a morning person, but because of the recent change to his body, he feel tired.

"That's also what onii-chan said after he opened the door." Said Hamuko as Yukari giggle and look at Minato, who seems back to sleep while standing. "Come on onii-chan, wake up!" said Hamuko as she shaking his body back and forward.

"I am awake! I am already awake! Please stop shaking me!" said Minato.

"Okay!" said Hamuko as she smiled innocently.

Yukari just giggled at the twin's antic then said to Souji, "Mitsuru-Senpai asked me to take you to school, are you ready to go?"

"Let me take my school bag, then ready to go." Answered Souji as he back to his room and take his bag, then out of his room and closing the door. "Yep. I am ready."

They soon get on the train and Yukari started spoke about the school that they're attending to the three of them, "We have to take the monorail to get there. This is my favorite part... when it feels like you're gliding over the sea. Our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there we walk." She telling them, then explained, "Have you guys ever heard Tatsumi Port Island? It's a man-made island. They built our school right in the middle. Oh, look! You can see it now!"

They looked out of the train window. There was just ocean. "Huh?" but then the train bent around the corner and there it is, a magnificent high school of the Port Island, standing right in the middle of the said Island.

"Oooohh!" Said Hamuko, very excited to get accommodated to their school environment while Minato has calm expression on his face. As for Souji, he remembering his first day at Yasogomi High. The two schools were completely different. He really misses Inaba and his friend.

They carried on talking the rest of the way, this time Yukari was filling them in about all the teachers and clubs they have. Along the path they saw a girl pass them on a bike. "Mornin'!" she said to Yukari.

"Good morning." She replied.

As they approached the gates, Yukari turned to them. "Well, this is it. We're here. Welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it!" she said with a smile.

"Hey, are those three new here?" A female student asked.

"Sure looks like it."

"Yeah. I've never seen those three here before. Those two guys over there, they're kinda mysterious and cool if you ask me. It makes you think they is a very interesting guy. *giggle* I think I'm fallen for either."

"Seriously? Well I think I've fallen for that cute new student there!" A male student said looking at Hamuko. "She's so cheerful and... bright. It makes you think she's the type of getting excited for something that is new to her. And those eyes of her..."

"Hey, don't give that drooling look. You're starting to sound like a pervert."

"..." The two could hear the students whispering. They think this is what those who are transferees here would expect in their first day of school.

"*_Sigh*. _Don't mind them. These rumors will drop off soon so don't get too worked up about it okay?" Yukari said.

They walked into the building together, stopping at the shoe locker and turn to face them then spoke, "You're okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is right there to the left. ...And that concludes the tour! Do you have any questions before I go?"

"Which class are you in?" asked Hamuko.

"Me? I dunno… I haven't seen the classroom assignments yet." Yukari shook her head. She then suddenly looked worried. "Hey… About last night... Don't tell anyone what you guys saw, okay? See you guys later." With that she left.

Minato then notice that there are many people standing in front of the bulletin board. "Want to check which class we're in?" he said to his sister and Souji while raises his hand to pointed at the crowd.

"Okay!"

"Sure."

Then the three of them walked to the bulletin board and begin searching their own name on the class rosters.

"""Class 2-F""" the three of them said.

"Huh? So... we're in the same class huh." Said Souji.

"Look's like it." Minato commented.

"Now we're stuck together in one year on the same class!" Hamuko said with her usual happy self.

"Well, shall we go to see our homeroom teacher?" asked Souji as both the twins nodded their head.

As they walking, they see some interesting people on the way there. There was a guy in track suits talking to a girl, having a semi-argument. There was a nervous guy with glasses talking to another guy, clearly dominant, almost aggressive, but they seemed to be getting along. There was a fat guy already talking to the lady behind the tuck shop. There was some blonde guy with a fan talking to a… Teacher? Someone in a Samurai helmet anyways. There was a younger girl with long hair and glasses. She was hunched over her books. She seemed absolutely terrified.

After few seconds walking they finally reached and entering the Faculty Office , a teacher who has short light brown hair that reach to her neck, and dark gray eyes; she wears a white turtleneck-like collar shirt, a brown faculty work jacket, brown pants, and black high heel shoes. noticed them. "Oh, are you three the new students? Souji Seta, Minato and Hamuko Arisato?" she asked them. They nodded, and she checked her chart.

"Now... Souji Seta..." she muttered as she searching Souji's name. "Ah, so you live in Indonesia with your uncle and aunt... your parents... Oh! I'm sorry!" she apologized to Souji.

"No, it's okay, please continue." Said Souji

"Right. For you two... Wow, you two lived in a lot of different places. Let's see, in 1999... That was what ten years ago...Your parents...*gasp*" Minato and Hamuko flinched a little. It didn't take a genius to understand the situation. "I'm sorry. I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand. I'm miss Toriumi, I teach composition. Welcome to our school." They just nodded at her. "Have you seen the classroom assignments yet?" they nodded again. "I see. You three are in my class. But first you need to get to the auditorium, the opening ceremony will be starting soon. You three go on ahead, I need to catch up on all this paperwork…" she sighed and sat back down.

They left to the Faculty Office in silence and on the way to the Auditorium Souji decided to break the silence.

"So, you guys also orphan like me? What happened to your parent? if it's okay if I am asked."

"Yeah, ...well, they die in the car accident in the 1999." Said Minato.

"We live with our uncle since then. How about you Sou-chan?" asked Hamuko.

"To tell the truth... it's pretty much same as you two, only they die in this island, in the Moonlight Bridge precisely." Souji half-lied to them.

"Seriously!? They also die in the Moonlight Bridge?" Minato said, rather surprised.

"Huh? What do you mean also?"

"Our parent also died on the car accident in the Moonlight Bridge." Clear Hamuko. "Is this some kind of coincidence?"

"Seriously?" now it's Souji's turn to surprised, "_Me and my big mouth_" he thinking.

"Let's just talk about something else... This is a touchy subject for us afterall..." said Minato, trying to change the subject. Then they talk to each other until they arrived at auditorium, which filled with so many students.

After they find suitable seats, the three of them then sit on it, Minato in the middle while Souji on his left and Hamuko on his right.

"As you begin the new school year, I'd like you to remember the proverb 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.', When applied to student life, this mean..." the principal continue his speech while Souji turned sleepy. He see that Minato already sleep and Hamuko listening to her music. After the morning assembly over, they're going to classroom until it over.

* * *

(_Inside the Classroom_)

The day was finally over. Souji was seated next to Hamuko and Minato behind Yukari in class.

"Want to go home together?" Asked Souji to the twin.

"Yes!" answered Hamuko while Minato nodded. Before they stood up to leave the classroom, another student with in the school uniform of Gekkoukan High, along with a purple collared shirt, a baseball cap, a silver necklace, and a chain attached to his pants. Coming at them. He has dark buzzcut hair, grayish eyes, and a goatee.

"Sup dudes? How is it going?" said him.

"Who are you?" Asked Hamuko.

"Me? I'm Junpei Iori. I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is being the new kid... So I wanted to say 'Hey'...See what a nice guy I am?" then Yukari entered the room. "Hey, It's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we would be in the same class again."

"At it again huh? I swear you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen." That was quite a harsh comment. "Did you ever think you may be bothering someone?"

"What? But I was just being friendly." Junpei sweatdropped.

Yukari sighed. "If you say so." She turned to the three transfer student, "Anyways, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom..."

"Yeah we know." Said Minato.

"I am a little surprised though..." she said with a smile.

Junpei looked mildly offended. "Um, Hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too? Why the different treatment?" His expression changed to a smirk as he slid into Minato and Yukari, "By the way…" He began, "I heard you guys came to school together this morning. What's up with that? Is that double date? Come on, gimme the dirt!"

Yukari looked shocked and leant back. "W-What're you talking about? We live in the same dorm!" she shouted. "You're making way too big of a deal out of this! There's nothing going on okay!" she then sighed, "Why are people even talking about it? Now you have me worried..."

She turned back us. "Hey… You guys didn't say anything to anyone about…" She hesitated, remembering Junpei was part of the conversation, "You know what, did you?"

"No, we didn't." Answered Minato.

"Okay, Good." Yukari leaned on Minato desk, coming closer to him and lowering her voice. "Seriously… Don't say anything about last night, alright?"

Junpei then jumped to his feet in shock as the four of them look at her, Yukari notices their stare and the silent atmosphere., "Wh-What?"

"L-last night...? Dude... ?"Junpei stuttered.

Yukari then blushing. "W-Wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea!" she makes an exaggerate movement. "Listen! I just met them yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us!" Yukari shook her head, "Geez." She finally calming down. "I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But, you better not start any rumours!" With that, she stormed off.

Once she was gone, Junpei turned back to Minato, Souji and Hamuko, raising his hands halfway in the air with a shrug. "Ah, who cares? No one takes rumours seriously, anyways." He let his hands fall down to his sides. "She's so paranoid… Ah, well. But hey! It's you three first day here, and people are already talking about you guys. Believe it or not, Yuka-tan actually pretty popular. Even if you guys just walked to school with her, you da man!" he then grinned, "Heheh, this is gonna be fun year. I can feels it!"

Souji, Minato, Hamuko and Junpei decided to go home together while talking to each other. A lot of various people are on the school ground. There are Toriumi-sensei(_teacher_) speaking with another teacher, a gray haired senior that is surrounded by two women and there are athletic students, running on a lap.

"Say, do you guys consider joined any club? If you are, you'll be joining as a new member. There's the kendo club, the tennis club, track team club, swiming club, Art Club, Music Club, Photography Club, Home Economics (Fashion) Club, Tennis Club, Volleyball Club and many more!" said Junpei as they walked.

"A kendo club huh?" Minato said wondering if he should join that swordsmanship club.

"A tennis club huh?" Hamuko does the same.

"Oh, you guys are thinking of joining? What about you Souji?" Junpei asked.

"Hm... the same as Minato maybe, I want to hone my swordsmanship skills thought." Souji said, that's will come in handy if he will face the shadows.

"Wow Sou-chan! I don't know you're interested with sword!" asked Hamuko in astonishment.

"*_chuckle_* You can say that, while in my previous school doesn't have any swordsmanship club, I'm pretty good in sword."

The four of them continue walking while talking about various clubs until Junpei went their separate ways and went home.

(_Later that evening_)

"Welcome back." Mitsuru, who is sitting on the sofa while reading a book, greeted the three as they stand on the entrance.

"""We're back!""" the three of them said in unison but with diferent tone, Minato with tired's tone, Hamuko Cheerfull's tone and Souji polite tone.

"You really shouldn't be heading outside on the night. Dorms regulations you know, so just stay and enjoy the pleasant evening. You must be tired of adjusting to your new environment." With that, she turned back to her book.

"*_yawn_* I'm tired, I will be going straight to my room and sleep, how about you two?" Asked Minato to Hamuko and Souji.

"I'm going to take showers, what about you Sou-chan?" replied Hamuko.

"Well, I am not doing anything, so I will going to my room, reading one of my books."

"Okay then, see you guys later. " she said as they went to their respective destination while passing a turn on Television as the reporter on the news on the TV in the living room elaborates on an '_Apathy Syndrome_' case which caught Mitsuru's attention.

"Hmm... What could this mean...?" She thought as she stares at the T.V that shows an expressionless man who seem to be a victim of the so called infection then returns to her reading.

* * *

The junior students in the dorm have already gone to bed, leaving only Mitsuru, then another student, which confident looking guy, with grey hair, coming down from the stairs. He wears a slightly modified school uniform of the Gekkoukan High School, where he replaces the standard jacket with a red sweater vest. Additionally, he wears black leather gloves. He walked up to the coat hangers and slung a jacket over his shoulder. He didn't put it on, he just held it by the collar and swung it over his shoulder while his other hand carrying a newspaper. "I'm going out for a bit." He said to her.

"Hm?" Mitsuru barely looked up from her book.

He then walked towards the door. "Didn't you see the newspaper? There's a lot going on."

"...I know." she replied. "People who had no problems before suddenly are suddenly developing acute cases of 'Apathy Syndrome'. I seen it in the news quite often lately. They say's it's due to stress but..."

"Yeah right it has to be THEM. Otherwise it's not worth my time." Said the confident guy.

"You have one track mind. Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can..."

"Don't worry. I'm just getting a little practice." He said as he out of the lounge.

"...*_sigh_* Honestly Akihiko, this isn't a game..."

**Author Note:**

**This chapter is just introduction of characters, so no actions yet.**

**Next chapter will be battle against Magician Arcana shadow.**

**Continue this story? Or not? It's up to you guys.**

**I will waiting your review, ****until then... farewell****...**


	3. Chapter 2: Awakens!

**I want to EAT a chocolate! **

**Why you ask? **

**Because everyday I dreamed buying chocolate and before I eated it, my dream ended!**

**Why I can't buy or eat chocolate before? **

**because I am ALERGIC to it!**

**such misfortune.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN P3, P3P AND PERSONA 4.**

* * *

**Chapter ****2****: ****Awakens! The power from the sea of my soul, Persona!**

(_08/04/2009_)

We found our three protagonists walking to school together. It's becoming a habit of sort, Souji and Hamuko were talking, and Minato as usual, listening to his music.

As they approaching the school gate, they, except Minato who still listening his music, overhear some girls talking, "Hey, did you heard the rumour?"

"Oh, um... something about... a bathroom?"

"N-no, not that one! I mean the one about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, '_It's coming... It's coming...!_'"

"Huh," replied the girl's friend. "How about that?"

"You don't believe me?" The first girl groaned, but she seems that she didn't believe a word of it herself as the two girls make their way to school.

Hamuko then sighed in relief, "I thought they were talking the rumour about us... I swear if they talked about us going double date with Yukari-chan like Junpei-kun said yesterday, I will..." Hamuko making gestures that looks like she was strangling someone.

"True." Souji said, also slightly annoyed. "That aside, what did they means about that first year student does nothing but it and stare at the wall?"

"I dunno," Hamuko shrugged, "Maybe she caught that Apeti Syndrome disease maybe?"

"Apathy Syndrome." Souji corrected. As the three of them reached the school ground, Junpei voice called them.

"Man, you three are always together." Said Junpei from behind as he approach them, interrupting their conversations.

"It's because we were live in the same dorm, duh." Said Hamuko, rolled her eyes.

"Whatever... So, what are you guys talking about?"

"The rumour about the first year student." Answered Souji.

"That rumour? Nah, maybe that's just because she caught that Apathy Syndrome, that's all."

"That's what I just said..." replied Hamuko.

"What do you think Minato?" asked Junpei to the blue haired teen.

"..."

"Minato?" asked Junpei again.

"..." he still silent.

"Why isn't he answering?" Junpei looked at Hamuko and Souji.

"He's been like this since morning. Listening to music non-stop and starring in the distance." Replied Souji.

"That's a bit creepy." Said Junpei.

"Hey! I heard that!" Minato said as he takes his earphone off from his ear.

"Ops?" they had a good laugh after that as the bell begin ringed, sign that the class already started.

* * *

(_Afternoon - inside Classroom_)

They sat in their own seat as listening to miss Toriumi lessons. "Open your textbooks and we'll take a look at the first novel by... Zenzou Kasai." She began. "Ugh... Why him? I'd rather teach Utsubo Kubota... He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature." She sighed as she mutter, "I wonder why it's not in the textbook. Well, I'll just bring Kubota's book next time."

She then look at the class and her gaze find a dozing off Junpei. "... Hey. Junpei! Were you listening?" making Junpei jolted from his sleep and awake instantly. "Who did I say was my favorite author?"

"H-Huh? U-Umm..." Junpei stuttered. Then glanced at Minato. "Psst! Who does she like?" he whispered.

Minato then write down the answer on his page, and thankfully Junpei saw it, "Utsubo Kubota!" he answered.

Miss Ms. Toriumi was impressed, "That's right! So you were listening to me after all!" and carried on thinking Junpei was listening.

"Thanks dude, you just save my bacon there..." He whispered to Minato.

"Pay attention next time..." Minato whispered back.

* * *

Later, that afternoon.

Since the classes have ended for the day, and there nothing they do, the trio decided that they will looking around the city, after that, going back to the dorm in the evening. When they got in, they see Yukari was sitting on the couch, talking to some middle-aged man with dark brown eyes, long wavy brown hair, and a goatee. He wears a tan jacket over his brown turtleneck. And wears glasses.

"Oh!" Yukari said, noticing them. "They're back."

"So, this is our new guest…" the middle-aged man said as they both stood up. "Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. 'Ikutsuki'... Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes... Please, have a seat."

As the five of them sat down, Ikutsuki brushed himself down and started talking again. "I apologize about the confusion regarding you three accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive a proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

"Who else lives here?" asked Hamuko.

"There are only six students in this dorm: You three, Yukari here, Mitsuru and a senior named Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along." Ikutsuki answered. "Any other questions?"

"Why are you here?" Minato asked.

"To welcome you three, of course." Answered Ikutsuki with smile. "Well, to be honest, I do have other business here." He then looked at Yukari. "Speaking of which... where's Mitsuru, Yukari?" he asked her.

"She is upstairs." Yukari replied.

"As diligent as always, although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello... Is there anything else?" he asked them again.

"The other night, we saw..." Souji said, to confirm his suspicion.

The two of them jumped and Souji knew he hit the mark, he just want to see what their reaction, Yukari looked uncomfortable while Ikutsuki seemed little surprised.

"You three saw something strange? …Like what?" he said nervously with a smile who seem almost be forced.

"Nothing…" Souji yawned. "We were probably just tired…"

"Huh? But-" Hamuko begin, but Souji mouthed her '_later'_ silently_._

Ikutsuki laughed. "Well, you three were probably just tired then,I wouldn't worry about it." Something doesn't seem right for the three transfer students. "Do you guys have another question?" they shook their head. "Then, I hope you three have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Ikutsuki stood up and began to walk towards the stairs. Stopping, he added; "You know what they say! The early bird gets the bookworm!" Ikutsuki chuckled. "…Please forgive the bad pun." He said, as he continued towards the stairs.

"Ugh… the three of you will get used to his lame jokes." Yukari said. A mix of a sigh, embarrassment, and contempt on her face. "I will go to my room, so... night." Yukari said as she began stood up and went upstairs. Leaving Souji with the twins in the lounge.

After making sure that no one except the three of them in the lounge, Souji gesturing them to approach him. before Souji could talk, Hamuko preceded.

"Sou-chan, why are you not telling them about _that_ phenomenon?" asked Hamuko to Souji.

"Because, it' seem they already know about that and for some reason, not telling us the truth... right Souji-kun?" answered Minato.

"Just as Minato-san said, they seem know about the phenomenon and experiencing it. Judging by their expresion after what I said about what we saw the other night, they seem to know more about that phenomenon but not telling us the whole thing. And not expecting us to also experiencing that phenomenon." Souji explained.

"Then why not telling us the truth?"

"Hm... It's seems they choose to tell a person who already know long enough about _that_ time." Minato said, rubbing his chin with his finger.

"Yukari-chan already seen us when _that_ time happened. Why not telling us?" Hamuko asked again with half raised hands.

"Maybe... they're expecting us to do something after we enter _that_ time..." answered Souji. Then he sighed, "If we want to know the truth, we must ask them in person..."

"Yeah, *_yawn_* lets... continue this discussion tomorrow. It's already late. I'm feeling really tired." Said Minato tiredly.

"It's seemed we really need a good rest and sleep." Hamuko said, noticing that Souji also seem tired. "Well then, let's go to our own room, alright."

With that said the trio walking upstairs then bid each other goodnight before entered their own room.

* * *

Later at a certain room in the dormitory after the three transfer student going to sleep...

Mitsuru and Yukari are sitting in front of a huge screen computer. In the monitor are showing the three transfer student: Souji Seta, Minato Arisato and Hamuko Arisato, who's appeared to be sleeping.

"What do you think about them?" asked Mitsuru to her junior.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. It was just the other day we saw them active during the dark hour, that would had only mean they..." then someone comes in.

"Working hard?" said the someone, which is Shuji Ikutsuki. "So, how's they're doing?"

Mitsuru and Yukari then stood up. "They went to bed a little while ago, they're asleep now." Said Mitsuru.

"I see..." Ikutsuki sits down on a couch behind their seats.

"Mr. Chairman, do you think they are... ?" asked Mitsuru.

"Well... From the looks of things, it seems they are, however..." The three of them turn to the three new residents of the dorm. "They are rather unique, from my understanding, they were active when they first arrived here yes? During the _that_ hour?"

"That's right I was the first one to saw them." Yukari said.

"She speaks truth, we don't how but they seem to have adapted to it."

"I see... Well. Let's wait and see for now." Ikutsuki answered. "...The Dark Hour is approaching."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a back alley of Tatsumi Port Island...

"*_sigh_* This sucks." Said a man. Upbeat music is playing from the radio that the man threw away.

"_KJ Radio presents, The Bay Tuners. Tune in again next week for more of the hits!_" said the Radio DJ from the radio.

"_This program is brought to you by Kirijo Electronics. Kirijo Electronics: always there when you need them_." Said the Radio Announcer. "_The time is now midnight_."

The clock hits midnight, making the environment all over the world is totally altered, mostly with the atmosphere and color. The buildings, the night sky, as well as the moon turned into a sickly green color. Humans then transmogrify into coffins. While bodies of water turn crimson like blood or it's really blood. At the station where students get off to to get to Gekkoukan high, a group of people who can be considered as 'rebels' though in only on the outward view, in the inside view however they can viewed as misguided people who are on a path of ruination.

"...Huh?" said the man as he noticing the sudden change of atmosphere around him. "... What the... ?"

Then black liquid thing like began appear from his skin, "Wh... what's happening to me... ?" and slowly the black liquid appeared more on his skin.

"... A ... A... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" screamed the man as the black liquid consumed his whole body until the black liquid forming a slime-like creature, and there's no more from the man body left.

* * *

Back at a certain room in the dormitory...

"Hmm... They're still sleeping." Muttered Ikutsuki as Mitsuru and Yukari turned to face him. "The Dark Hour occurs every day at 12 midnight; you could say it's the '_hidden'_ hour." He said, stroking his chin. "During this time, an ordinary person Transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs."

"Then... they must be..." Yukari concluded.

"As you can see, they're retained their human form. They're asleep, but the three of them definitely experiencing the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki explained. "The only question that remains is wether or not they have the potential." He nods to himself. "Altough, they must. ... If they didn't. They would've preyed on them by now."

"Scary..." Muttered Yukari.

The three of them then turned their attention toward the big screen which still showing Souji, Minato and Hamuko's figure sleeping. "In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days." Said Ikutsuki, which getting a nod from Mitsuru as she said, "Yes, Sir."

"I feel kinda bad, though, spying on them like this..." Yukari said uncomfortably as they continue stared at the screen.

* * *

(_In_ _Minato and Hamuko's mind – Velvet Room_)

The twin's eyes opened because of some noisy sounds, only to find that they're not inside their own room, rather in a large blue room, with a chain fence for a back wall. Judging from the lights moving downwards, and the spinning dial, they were in some kind of lift. For some reason, they were now sitting in chairs at a table. Looking around, they surprised to find each other presence.

"Onii-chan?"

"Hamuko?"

"Welcome to the Velvet Room..." Said an older voice in front of them. The twin's head snapped forward to the owner of the voice. Who they see is a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears, and bulging, bloodshot eyes, He has white, balding hair. He wears a black suit with white gloves. There was a short white haired girl with yellow eyes. She wears a blue dress that resembles a stewardess' outfit with five black-lined circles outside small yellow circles, blue gloves, a blue attendant-like hat, black leggings and blue, knee-length boots, standing on the older man left side, while his right side standing a man with white hair and yellow eyes. He wears a black-collared and long-sleeved shirt under a blue suit complemented with a blue necktie. He also wears black pants with blue lines running through the sides, black shoes, and a hat similar to a flight attendant or even a bell boy.

"My name is Igor… I am delighted to make your acquaintance…" Igor then gestured to the girl "This is Elizabeth..." Then gestured to the man. "And this is Theodore... They are a resident here, like myself."

Both Elizabeth and Theodore nodded, ""Pleased to meet you.""

Igor looked straight at me, smiling. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… It's been a while since we've had _more than one_ guest... Now…"

Igor waved his hand, and the two red book from the other night appeared on the table, opening itself. The two Arisato looked at it.

'_I, Minato Arisato will take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions.'_

'_I, Hamuko Arisato will take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions.'_

Igor continued to speak, "Only those who have signed the '_contract'_ can enter this place… Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room... You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my assistance to do so. I only ask one thing in return..."

"And that is... ?" asked the blue haired Arisato.

"That you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make." Answered Igor.

"Say onii-chan, is this a dream?" Hamuko asked Minato.

The one who answered her question is Igor, "Precisely... You are fast asleep in the real world as we speak... This visit of yours is merely a dream... However, you will come here of your own accord, sooner or later."

"And how we do that?"

Igor smiled, and pulled something out of his pocket. "Hold on to this…" and his hand began to glow.

Then Minato's and Hamuko's hand glowed, and a dark blue key appeared in their right hand. Minato looked up to speak, but Igor merely waved.

"'Till we meet again…" he said as the two of them begin disappear from Velvet Room. Igor then glanced at behind the two chairs which the two Arisato sit before.

"So... what do you think of them?" Igor asked.

"... they appeared to be calm when first enter the Velvet Room, unlike me... who rather slightly confused and creeping out when I see you for the first time."

"... That's not what I meant..."

"I know... they have the potential to become stronger in the future. Especially Minato-san. He appeared to be always calm and sleepy... but I'm feeling a raw power coming from him, like... something primordial. That what's I think about them."

"Do you think they can accomplish their journey...?" asked Igor.

"They will not fail, while I still can help them with all of my power to overcome any obstacle in their journey." Answered Souji as he too, disappearing from Velvet Room.

* * *

(_09/04/2009 – Minato's room_)

Minato's eyes opened wide, and he was back in bed. It was morning already, so he got up, rubbing his eyes. Then noticed he was still holding the key from the dream.

"It's real..." utter Minato as he examines the key on his hand, no longer surprised by the strange events. Entering the time when the entire atmosphere turned green and people becoming coffins when midnight came for ten years with his sister, he already experiencing it. Meet a strange boy who wearing prisoner-like outfit and then dissapear suddenly, he also experiencing it. Dreaming about long-nosed man with pointed ears inside some-kind of blue elevator then giving him and his sister a strange key, he also already experiencing it. Waking up with the said key from his dream on his hand. He no longer surprised.

"I'm not surprised if Hamuko also has the same dream and gived the key too by that Igor guy." He said to himself.

"Wakey-wakey! Onii-chan! Wake up!" his sister called from outside the door.

"I'm already awake. Just open the door and come in." Minato answered her.

As the door opened, Hamuko then entered his brother room and sit beside him on the bed.

"What's up?" asked Minato.

"You already know onii-chan, about that dream..." Then she showed him the same dark blue key on her hand. "And this."

"So?"

"*_sigh_* why are you so calm about this? Don't you think this is strange?" asked Hamuko.

"To be honest, I already give up to the craziness of this world Hamuko... so I'm not surprised anymore." Minato answered truthfully as he half raised both his hand in the air.

"Don't you curious about that dream though?"

"Actually, I'm also curious, I'm just letting the flow of time answered for us."

"If you say so then..." Hamuko sighed in defeat. "Let's just waking Sou-chan up and go to school together..."

"Okay."

The two of them go out from Minato's room and stood up outside Souji's door. "Hey Sou-chan, wake up!" she shouted.

No answer.

"Sou-chan! Wake up! It's time for school!" Hamuko shouted again, slightly louder than before.

"I'm on the bottom floor!" answered someone on the floor below them.

"Huh?" then the Arisato twins going down the stairs and meet with Souji who prepared three bento(_Lunch Box)_s on the dining table in the lounge.

"Morning you two." Greeted Souji with a smile.

"Good morning Souji-kun."

"Morning Sou-chan!" they greeted back.

"So, are you going to eat all of that?" asked Minato, pointing at the three bentos.

"Of course not, I'm just have one, the rest is for you two." Said Souji as he handed them the two bento.

"Wow! Thank's Sou-chan!" said Hamuko while Minato nodded. "Why just the two of us?"

"You're welcome. Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai and Yukari-san already left in the early morning before you two wake up, saying that they have a club activity in the morning." Explained Souji. "Well, shall we going then?" he said and the trio eventually left the dorm.

* * *

At the school gate, they meet with Junpei. "What's up guys?" Junpei seem ecstatic about something, "Man, today is a perfect day! The sky is blue... the sun is shining... the birds are singing... and we're young, what more could we ask for?"

"Sleep." Answered Minato.

"Peace." Answered Souji.

"Dude, I'm not sick, and we already not in the World War II. Forget the old Junpei, this is the real me! You should cheer up too man. After all, you've got ME as a friend!"

"You seem full of energy, Junpei-kun." Asked Hamuko.

"Of course! Listen to this... Oh, wait! I'm not supposed to say anything! Sorry guys!" Junpei said then chuckled.

"C'mon, tell us why are you so happy about!" asked Hamuko. Curious.

"Nuh-uh!" Junpei shook his head.

The entire walk toward classroom filled with Hamuko pestering Junpei about why he was happy until the bell rang and they hurried toward classroom and sit on their own seat.

The first lesson is Classic Literature, teached by Mr. Ekoda. "Aheem... I'm Mr. Ekoda. I'll be teaching you Classic Literature."

Many student zoned out as the lesson continued except Minato who sleep through the lesson.

After the school is over, the trio of transfer student decided to go straight to the dorm, take showers, eat dinner and then for Minato part, sleep.

* * *

Later, as the Dark Hour came. At certain room in the dormitory.

"How are they?" Ikutsuki said to Mitsuru and Yukari as he entered the room.

"... The same as last night." Answer Mitsuru as she and Yukari watched the new residents of the dorm sleep again via large screen.

Ikutsuki then sits down on a couch, "Hmm... Very interesting." He said. "Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first... Memory loss... disorientation..." Mitsuru and Yukari then glanced at the Chairman as he continue. "But, these subject is rather unique. They haven't exhibited any of the common symptoms."

Yukari then lowered her head and said, "But... we're treating them like guinea pig..."

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members." Ikutsuki said to Yukari. "I heard they're your classmate... Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?"

"Yeah, I guess. But, still..." she replied. Then a beeping sound sounded from the computers in front of them.

"Command room." Mitsuru responded to it. "... Is that you, Akihiko?"

"_You're not gonna believe this... ! this thing is huge!_" Akihiko voice sound's like he is panting, running while he called the command room. "_Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk... It's chasing me... I wanted to let you guys know, I'm almost there._"

What Akihiko said make the three of them alarmed suddenly.

"Does that mean... he's bringing that thing here!?" Yukari said, nervous.

Mitsuru then stood up from her chair, "Mr. Chairman!" she said to Ikutsuki. "Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!"

"... R-Right! Be careful!"

* * *

At the first floor below...

Akihiko entered the front door then locked it,"Ugh... !" Then he sits on the ground with his back facing the door.

"Akihiko!" Both girls and Ikutsuki arrive. Yukari notices that he's been wounded and attended to him.

"Agh... !" Though she attended to his wounds, it seems she only made it open a little bigger. "Ow..." A sweat appears on his head.

"Senpai!?"

"I'm alright." Akihiko answered. "Get ready to be surprised... It'l be here any second."

Mitsuru then kneeling beside Akihiko, "This is no time to joke around!" she scold him.

Ikutsuki approach him," It's one of them, Akihiko?"

"Yes, but not an ordinary one-" he said.

The whole building then shake violently, making the four of them nearly lost their balance.

"Ahh!" Cried Yukari. "What the...!? ... You've gotta be kidding me!"

Mitsuru then stood up and draw out a gun from it holster on her waist. "Mr. Chairman, please head for the command room!" she commanded, "Takeba, go upstairs and wake them up! Then, escape out the back."

"But, what about you two?"

"We'll stop it here... You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight." Said Mitsuru as she looked at Akihiko.

"Like I had a choice!" He glared, then looked at Yukari, "What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"

"I-I'm going!"

* * *

(_Souji's room_)

"What the!?" Souji are awoken because of the building shaking violently. Looking around, he noticed that this is the time when the atmosphere becomes green. He then widened his eyes, he can feel that there's a powerful being in this building, like a shadow, but not an ordinary one, the presence is more like Shadow Teddie, but a little weaker. Souji then hurriedly opened the door of his room and stepped out the room, only to meet with Yukari who will open his door, nearly crashed to her.

"Good, you're awake!" she said.

"What happened?" Asked Souji, but Yukari not answered. She hurriedly walking toward Minato's door and knocking it loudly.

"Wake up!" Yukari shouted, looking clearly terrified. "Sorry, I'm coming in!" With that, she opened the door. Souji wondered how she can unlock the door, but seeing Yukari panicked expression, it's not the time to asked such a question. "I don't have time to explain," She said in a rush, walking towards a confused Minato, "But we have to get out of here, Now!"

"What's going on?" he asked, then the building shaking violently again.

"Onii-chan, Sou-chan? What's going on in there?" ...Hamuko seems to have heard the commotions as well and she comes down, and she's very confused like the blue haired one. "Eh? Yukari-chan? Why are you..."

"Hamuko! Good, now that you three are here, take these." That's when they all noticed that Yukari carried three weapons. She give a short-sword to Minato, a katana to Souji and a naginata to Hamuko.

"Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" Yukari leave no room for argument as the three of them nodded.

They ran down the stairs as Yukari on the lead and reached the back door. Yukari stopped to catch her breath, "Alright, we should be safe now-"Yukari stopped, as there are beeping sound coming from her ear, an earpiece maybe?

"_Takeba, do you read me!?_" Mitsuru voice can be heard from it.

"Y-Yes! I hear you!" answered Yukari nervously.

"_Be careful! There's more than one enemy!_"

"_Enemy? Then what I'm feel is right! Shadows appear in here!_" Souji thought grimly.

"_The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!_" Mitsuru said through the earpiece.

"_They're fighting it!? Then this people are persona users!_" Souji thought, shocked.

"WHAT!?" Yukari shouted.

A slamming sound is heard at the other side of the door and there seems to be someone... or SOMETHING on the other side, trying to knock the door down.

"W-What's going on!?" Hamuko asked, clearly scared.

Yukari desperately tried to regain control of the situation, "L-lets pull back!"

They ran up the stairs to the second floor, and the building continued to shake. Yukari was clearly in a panic. "What're we going to do..? They're downstairs! W-We gotta go further up!"

The four of them continue running towards the third floor then the sound of the door being break down and a vase broken down are heard below. "Wh-What was that!" "What's going on down there!" Both Yukari and Hamuko asked frightened. Then they heard something coming their way.

"It's getting closer!" Yukari shouted in panic.

"Hurry! to the roof!" "Keep moving!" Minato and Souji shouted.

"O-Oh yeah! If we go out through there!" Yukari said.

They eventually reached the top floor, which consisted of a steel door. "O-oh yeah," Yukari said, panting for breath. "We should be safe through there…"

They went through the iron door to the open roof, and Yukari locked it behind them. She leaned back against it and sighed in relief. "Alright, I think we're okay for now..."

As if to mock her, the building shook again, and they realized just how safe they were not.

"Huh!" Turning around they see, "What...!"

A blue mask with Roman numeral one on its forehead poked over the edge of the building, held by a black hand. It looked around, and then ascended as a monster made out of many black arms crawled onto the roof.

As it landed on the roof, it pulled out half a dozen swords, each bigger than a person.

"Those monsters... we call them shadows..." Yukari pulled out her gun, and put it to her head.

"Hey wait! Yukari-san!/Yukari-chan what are you doing!?/Yukari-san!" Souji, Hamuko and Minato shouted to Yukari.

The monster, the Shadow didn't seem to care though, it just shot out and knocked her aside with a bare hand.

""Yukari-san!/Yukari-chan!"" shouted Minato and Hamuko.

"_Damn! If come to this then, I must..._" Souji thought, and then he stepped to in front of Minato and Hamuko, facing the shadow.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the command room...

"There! They're on the roof!" shouted Akihiko as he see the four of them on the roof via the screen.

"That gigantic Shadow... Just what is it we're dealing with!?" Mitsuru said, shocked.

"Let's go Mitsuru!"

When the two of them about out of the room, Ikutsuki stopped them, "Wait!" he said to them, "Look..." Ikutsuki pointed to the screen, which showing Souji stepped in front of the twins then raised his right hand upward with his palm opened.

* * *

Back on the roof...

"_I hope this working outside the TV worlds... If not, we all were going to die in here_..." Souji though as he raised his right hand upward with his palm opened while his left hand holding the katana. He feels it, the source of his power, the feeling whenever he called and summoning the manifestation of his soul to come out.

Blue mist started coming out from Souji and blue shards are rotating around him floating as a tarot card with roman number XXI descended from above him toward his palm. "Huh? it's seem my arcana is change from _The Fool_ to _The World _arcana." He muttered, "Whatever... let's do this, PERSONA!" he shouted as he crushed the card with his palm followed with the sound of glass breaking.

There was a whirlwind of blue glass flying around Souji after he crushed the card. And then emerge a black figure with white mask, yellow eyes, wearing black coat behind Souji, it wielding a black sword with long handle covered the half of the handle with bandage.

"**Thou art I...**

**And I am thou...**

**From the sea of thy soul, I cometh...**

**I have been guiding light shed to illuminate thy path...**

**I am Izanagi, The Original God…"**

"Heh, glad to see you back." Said Souji as he look at his persona, who nodded back at him. Then he turned to look at Minato and Hamuko with his golden eyes, the twins seems in shock after witnessing a being that appeared from thin air behind Souji as they look at his persona. Then looked at Souji and widened their eyes.

"Sou-chan... Your eyes..." Said Hamuko.

"It's golden..." continue Minato.

"Don't worry. You guys are save... for now." Souji reasured them, then turned to face the Shadow, "Well then, IZANAGI!" he shouted as his persona, Izanagi, jumped and shoot forward to the Magician Shadow, delivering a slash toward it but blocked by two of the Shadow's swords. Izanagi begining to pushed back by the Shadow, but Souji rushed forward to it and slicing one of the Shadows arm with his katana, making it drop one of the sword as Izanagi jumped back, Souji did the same.

"Izanagi, MAZIO!" Souji shouted, then his persona raised his left hand forward, making multiple small electricity shot downward from the sky, hitting the shadow .

The twins and Yukari stared the battle in front of them in awe as multiple electricity hit directly at the Shadow.

When the storm of multiple electricity died down and Izanagi disappear, it revealing the unharmed shadow.

"Tch, it seem I am really weaker than before." Uttered Souji, as he running toward the Shadow with intent to slash it mask while materializing the tarot card in the way of his sword. And the slash blocked by one of the Shadow's sword, the attack connected thus destroyed the card in the process, making Izanagi appeared once again and pushed the shadow back with his sword, making it slammed to nearby wall.

Giving the shadow no chance to recover, Souji commanded Izanagi to making a multiple electricity to hit the Shadow again. Unfortunately, the shadow recovered quickly and dodging the upcoming electricity while making Its way to where Souji standing readied it's big sword to slice Souji.

"Shit!" he shouted as he blocked the attack with his katana, making it break to a two pieces in the process and the impact of the attack sending Souji crashing against a wall near the Arisato twins, "Ugh!"

"""Sou-chan/ Souji-kun""" Shouted Hamuko, Minato and Yukari.

As Minato about to approached Souji, his foot then bump to something, looking down, he noticed Yukari's gun.

It looked like a small calibre handgun, but looking at it, there was no magazine slot. It couldn't be loaded.

Minato had a vision of that mysterious kid from the other night. "Go on…" he said, his hand pointing its finger at the side of his head.

Minato didn't need to be told twice. Bending down, he picked up the gun, holding it in his hands.

"Onii-chan?" asked Hamuko, noticed her twin picking up a gun.

The shining metal was cold to touch, despite the wooden stock. Minato remembered Yukari putting the gun to her head. He flinched and his heart raced faster. Minato calmed himself down, He slowly lifted the gun to his temple. His blood was coursing through his body. As a cold drop of sweat slid down his face, Minato resigned himself to his fate.

'_I, Minato Arisato will take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions.'_

As the words formed in his head, Minato smiled.

"Per…So…Na…"

Without flinching, he pulled the trigger.

Minato felt an ice-cold bullet fly through his skull, but instead of blood, blue glass flew from the other side. Like Souji, there was a whirlwind of blue glass flying around him as it forming a metallic figure which have the same face as Minato, but the skin is dark and his hair is white while his eyes are blood red, with platinum colored torso and a giant lyre on his back, he roared in rage.

"**Thou art I...**

**And I am thou...**

**From the sea of thy soul, I cometh...**

**I am Orpheus, Master of strings…"**

"*_gasp_* O-Onii-chan..." Hamuko gasped, stood in the place.

"Minato-kun..." utered Yukari.

As the Shadow noticed them, It then running toward Minato, only meet with Orpheus who hitting It down with his big Lyre, and because of the impact of the hit, the Shadow flung into the air from the floor and being hit again to the side by Orpheus lyre, making it landed slightly away from them.

Orpheus then playing his lyre, and forming a fireball who exploded in front of the Shadow, making it stumble slighly and begin running as Orpheus continue playing his lyre, creating fireball by fireball to It, but dodged by the Shadow one by one.

As Orpheus stopped playing, Minato noticed that majority of the roof on fire, fortunately the fire not touched his friend. He then started panting, and then "Urgh..!" He clutched his head and fell to knees.

Orpheus screamed in pain, and a pair of white arms coming from his mouth. Suddenly, the arms stretched apart as Orpheus was ripped to pieces from the inside.

"Aaaaaargh!" Minato sreamed in pain as Orpheus replaced by a larger being, dressed in black with a dinosaur helmet. With eight chain of coffins floating around its shoulder.

Hamuko, Yukari and Souji who already recovered ,staring in shock at the black persona.

Souji sense one thing and it's DEATH, from Thanatos, the black persona which Souji know the name of itbecause of his new ability to scan the status of a persona or shadows that given by Philemon. Now he know why he sense something powerful when he near Minato, and it's because of this persona.

Thanatos roared with rage, hate, and… hunger as it drew a sword and flew into the air and lunged for the Shadow. Before the Shadow could react, Thanatos already in front of it then ripped the Shadow's body limb from limb. Then sliced the Shadow's mask easily and dropped an arm to the floor, wich make Yukari and Hamuko to gasp. As the Shadow dissipates to black mist, Thanatos roared again.

But the battle not end yet as more shadows, this time smaller, coming right toward them.

Seeing that Hamuko and Yukari still frozen in place, Souji then summoning Izanagi again and about attacked the armies of shadows. But before he attacked yet, Thanatos then slamming itself to Izanagi, sending him to the air as Izanagi form then dissapear.

"What!?" Souji shouted, then looked at Minato, who still clutching his head in pain. "What are you doing, Minato-san!?"

"Urgh! ... I... can't... controlled... it... sorry... Argh!" said Minato between pained gasp.

"Dammit! So It going berserk then!" Souji then turned to Hamuko. "Hamuko-san! I'm borrowing your naginata, right now!"

Hamuko nodded as she give Souji her naginata. It's not weapon that Souji expert at, but this is the only weapon available on near him to fight the smaller shadows, while Minato's short-sword is on the ground near Minato and because of berserk Thanatos, Souji afraid to pick it.

"Raaaarrrgghh!" with a battle cry he swung the naginata to three shadows nearby, killing it instantly as Thanatos also attacked uncontrollable to the swarm of shadows.

As Thanatos coming closer to them, Souji began summon Izanagi once again to stop It for harming them.

The two sword made from steel began clashed as Izanagi and Thanatos facing each other, delivering multiple slash attack toward each other. But, the difference in strength between Izanagi and Thanatos are too far away. So that making Souji's persona received more slashed damage.

"Argh!" Souji shouted as he slashed yet another shadow which coming to the three of them, his body also feeling the slash attack which received by Izanagi because his soul is connected to his persona.

"I won't... give up. IZANAGI!" With a shout, Souji command Izanagi to also delivered Thanatos multiple slash, but blocked by Thanatos's sword. And in the last slash, Izanagi attack connected to It chest thus making Thanatos dissapear with a roar.

"Thanks... Souji-kun... Hamuko!... catch this!" Minato shouted then throwing the gun on his hand toward Hamuko as he and Souji begin passed out because of mental fatigue, making Izanagi also dissappear

Hamuko catch the gun. Then with a trembling hand, pointed the gun to her right temple. "If onii-chan can do it... so I am! Persona!" she shouted as she pulled the trigger.

Same like Souji and Minato, there was a whirlwind of blue glass flying around her as it forming a metallic figure which same like Minato's persona, Orpheus. This version of Orpheus, although bearing the same concept like Orpheus, but with longer brown hair, a golden-colored torso instead of a platinum one the male Orpheus adorns, and a giant heart-shaped lyre.

"**Thou art I...**

**And I am thou...**

**From the sea of thy soul, I cometh...**

**I am Eurydice, Mistress of strings…"**

"Eurydice! Maragi!" shouted Hamuko.

Eurydice then playing her heart-shaped lyre, like Orpheus. She make multiple fireball toward the swarm of shadows and burning them, killing them instantly. The roof then clean from the shadows as Eurydice dissapear along with the Dark Hour coming to end.

Maybe because the sudden of summoning her persona or because used to many fire spell, Hamuko begining to passed out. Much like her twin and Souji.

What she seen before passed out is the door of the roof is smashed open with Mitsuru and an older teen running toward them before the darkness overtake her.

**Author Note:**

**To be honest... **

**My mind is in the somewhere while I writing this chapter.**

**I don't know if this chapter is turned out to be good or bad.**

**So what do you guys think about this chapter?**

**Please answer via your review.**

**And like before. Continue this story? Or not? It's up to you guys.**

**I will waiting your review, until then... farewell...**


	4. Chapter 3: SEES, Persona and Shadows

**Still haunted by dream of buying chocolate...**

**What I am supposed to do!?**

**Posting new chapter of course!**

**For starter, there's a review who mention that Hamuko role is just having another extra wild card, which is true.**

**But! Don't worry****! ****Hamuko role will getting little bigger as the story progressed, and playing bigger role in the middle of the story! Thought I have two plans for her, I still can't decide which role suits for her fate- **

**Oops! If I continue speaking, then it will be a spoiler for what will Hamuko role will be.**

**So... here we goes!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN P3, P3P AND PERSONA 4.** **THEY ARE BELONG TO ATLUS.**

**Chapter 3: ****S.E.E.S, Persona and Shadows**

* * *

"It's so nice to see you again."

Minato and Hamuko eyes immediately snapped open after hearing that familiar voice. The twins found themself in a familiar blue room, while sitting in chair, and in front of them is no other than Igor, with Elizabeth and Theodore on his sides. It seems they have been called to Velvet Room again.

"You became unconscious after awakening to your '_Power_'. It's nothing to worry about though. So, just relax_…_" Igor said as he sees panicked expression from the twins.

Minato and Hamuko trying to relax and shifted into a more comfortable position in their chair as Igor continued. "By the way… I see that it was Orpheus and Eurydice that heeded your calling. That power is called a _'Persona'_… It is a manifestation of your psyche."

"Persona?/Our psyche?" Hamuko and Minato asked at the same time, feeling confused.

Igor laughed, "It may take some time to fully comprehend." He then smiled. "A persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli... You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships." Igor explained

"So that was what onii-chan's 'Orpheus' and my 'Eurydice' is?" said Hamuko, feeling little understand as Igor nodded.

"Okay, I'm feeling a little lost here..." said Minato as he looked at Igor, then to his sister.

"For shorts explanation, he means that our power is coming from our souls, onii-chan."

"Then what about Thanatos?" seeing that her sister raising one of her eyebrow, Minato explained, "The one who appeared from inside Orpheus. Don't ask how I know its name... it's just suddenly came in my mind after its replaced Orpheus."

Igor nodded again, "That being said, it is because your power is still weak... When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength."

"So that's why I can't control Thanatos. It's because I still under leveled and it isn't my power yet. No wonder my head hurt so much when Thanatos comes out." Said Minato as his hand rubbed his temple.

"Your ability, however, evolves as you develop your '_Social Links_', your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that. Now, then..." Igor paused, smiling. "Time marches on your world, I really shouldn't keep you here any longer."

"Wait, there's more we need to ask you!"

Igor chuckled again. "The next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord and will leave through the same." Igor flashed them a smile as their body slowly disappear from the Velvet Room. "Until then... Farewell..."

* * *

(_19__/04/2009 - Hospital room_)

When Minato opened his eyes the second time, he see white ceiling. Minato wondered how long he has been asleep. He then feels someone's presence beside him. Turned his head to right, Minato looked to see a sleeping Hamuko while she sit on a chair. Her head resting on his bed.

"You're awake...!" said someone from his left.

Turned to his left, Minato see Yukari stood up from her seat.

"Um, how do you feel?" she asked.

"... Like being hit by a truck..." Minato answered honestly.

Yukari sighed. "Thank goodness you came to… How much sleep do you need!? It's been a whole week! I was so worried about you guys…"

"I have been sleeping for a week!?" said Minato as he sat up suddenly, surprised. Making the sleeping Hamuko woke up instantly.

"W-What!?" she said, and then her gaze found an awaked Minato. "O-Onii-chan!? You're awake!" Hamuko then proceed to hug her brother tightly. "Thank goodness you're awake! Just how much sleep do you need!? It's been a whole week! I was so worried about you, onii-chan!" said Hamuko as she hugged her brother harder. And thus making Minato can't breathe because Hamuko arms wrapped tightly around Minato's neck.

"That's what I just said..." Yukari said with a sweatdrop.

"Hamuko... can't... breathe..." uttered Minato as the color of his face slowly turned to looked like his hair.

Yukari then sighed, "C'mon Hamuko-chan, release your brother from your arms. He can't breathe if you're hugging him tightly like that."

Hamuko noticed that indeed his brother face nearly turning blue and hurriedly let go of him. "Sorry, onii-chan." She apologized.

"It's... okay..." said Minato while gasping for air and recovered in a few second. "Anyway, where are we?" he asked.

"... Oh yeah, this is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's just a short walk from the station." Yukari telling him. "After the battle the other night, you three fell unconscious. And we carried you three to this hospital. The doctor could't finds anything wrong with you guys. He said that the three of you just exhausted..." she paused, and then continue, "But, you guys kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was? When Hamuko-chan awake two days ago, I feeling a relief come to my body, I thought that if she already awake then you and Souji-kun will be awake soon."

"Wait... what about Souji-kun?" asked Minato to both of them.

"He still sle-"

"Ugh... what with the commotion?"

They turned to see the owner of the voice and see an awaked Souji trying to sit up from another bed in the room.

"Sou-chan! You're awake!" said Hamuko happily as she hurriedly to his side. "How do you feel?"

"Other than feel tired and sleepy, I am feeling okay." Souji answered.

"Are you sure?" asked Yukari.

"Yes, I'm really alright. So, how long I've been unconscious?"

"We actually fell unconscious for a whole week." Minato answered from his bed.

Souji 's eyes widened, "A whole week!" He shouted.

"That's exactly like what Minato-kun reaction." Yukari said, smiling. "Anyway, I'm glad that you guys are okay." She said, but then looked down, "Um… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything that night… Even though I was supposed to be the one protecting you three …" Yukari sighed, and looked into the three of them again, "But, I was saved by you guys... so I owed an apology to you... no, what I want to say is... Thank you."

"So, what were those things? That night you called them Shadows right?"

Yukari nodded. "They're what we're fighting against. And the power you used, we call it-"

"Persona." Said Minato and Hamuko while Souji just quiet.

"Oh, Yeah, you guys said that just before you summoned didn't you? How'd you know that?"

"Well, to be honest, that word just came out from my head." Answered Minato.

"Same here." Hamuko said, and then turned to Souji. "What about you, Sou-chan? You seem already know about it before?"

"Now that you said it... I'm also recalling that you're say '_glad to see you back'_ to your persona? Are you by any chance have been fought those Shadows before?" asked a curious Yukari.

"..."

"Sou-chan?" asked Hamuko.

"... Yes, I already know and have fought them before." Souji answered, he intended to tell them when he summoned his persona anyway. "But!" Souji said as Yukari about to ask another question, "I will explain to you guys after we gathered. And by 'we', what I means is all the person who involved in this matters, not we four, so that I must not repeat what I have been said."

"Okay... if you say so then, I will let the others know." Said Yukari. As she sat back on her chair.

"So, what about the time when the atmosphere turned green and people becoming coffin?" ask Hamuko.

"Well, we will explain it all to you guys later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But I…" Yukari seemed to be trying to get something off her chest. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sort of like you guys…"

"You also can summon a persona?" Minato asked.

"You can say that I have one... but I never have summoned mine..." Yukari stood up, facing the window, and continued, "My dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms... You're all alone too, right?" Yukari's head fell down, looking guilty. "To be honest, I already know about you guys past... But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine..."

She seemed to be bringing up a painful memory, as she turned back towards them, still looking at the floor. "It was back in '99... There was a big explosion in the area. My dad supposedly died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened... He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group."

Yukari's head rose slightly as she unloaded herself. "So I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you." Yukari laughed bitterly "...Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help... It was my first time fighting them." Yukari really looked dejected, almost to the point of tears. "I'm sorry... You three wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward..."

"It's not your fault. I was scared too." Minato said.

Yukari looked directly at Minato. "Really...? But still…" she stared for a moment, "And here I am telling you all this the moment you wake up…" She smiled. "You know, while you guys were sleeping, I was thinking to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from them, when they wakes up, I'm gonna tell them the truth.' So, thanks for listening, I've wanted to share that story with someone for a long time."

"Anytime Yukari-san." Said Minato, smiling to her.

Souji then whispered to Hamuko, "It's seem they forgot that we also here with them..."

"It's seemed so. Looks like onii-chan got a crush on Yukari-chan..." she whispered back.

Yukari stepped towards the door. "Alright, me and Hamuko better get going. I'll let the others know that you guys already woke up. Take it easy, okay? Be good patients! See you guys latter, c'mon Hamuko-chan."

"Okay! Bye, you two!" Hamuko said as she and Yukari and walked out the door.

...

"So... You like Yukari-san, right, Minato-san?" teased Souji with a smirk while Minato groaned.

* * *

(_20/04/2009 - Early Morning_)

Souji and Minato walked to school together as they out from the hospital and started chatting about other things, they hadn't back to the dorm yet. Actually, after got out from hospital, they rushed to the room on their dorm and take their schoolbag. Along the way on the school gate, they met with Yukari and Hamuko, who chatted about something. Then notice Souji and Minato coming toward them.

"Morning onii-chan, Sou-chan!" greeted Hamuko with her usual happy self.

"Mornin'. You two seem to be doing pretty well." Yukari greeted then reaching into her schoolbag.

"We alright, like you said, we were just exhausted." Answer Minato.

Yukari offered Minato and Souji some books. "That's good. Thought you two might be coming in today, so I went into you guys room and got today's books for you two."

""Thanks."" the two boys said, putting the books in their bag. They; Minato, Hamuko, Souji and Yukari were in the same class for every lessons.

"Hey, sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning... but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you three today, so come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget." Yukari telling them as they stepped to the school ground.

They had a decent conversation on the school, they're avoiding what they really wanted to talk about, which is about persona and shadows until they got to class.

Today's morning lesson is history, teached by Mr. Ono, the guy who wearing a samurai helmet from before. "That's enough about mammoths... I don't see the big deal. They're just huge elephants. And that wraps it up for the Stone Age." He sighed, "... I'm tired of lessons about stones... I'd rather talk about the Sengoku Era! Japanese history's not that exciting until then. Though I'm paid to do this, so I've gotta... It's tough being an adult." then looked at his book. "Next is... the Jomon period? When do the samurai get their day in the sun!?"

"I'll just ask a question at random and call it a day." He then looked at every student, "Hmm... hey, Junpei!"

"Y-Yes, sir?" Junpei stutered as he called by Mr. Ono.

"What was the style of house in the Jomon period called?" he asked.

"Uhh... How am I supposed to know about something way back then?" Junpei muttered but unfortunately Mr. Ono hears him.

"That means you don't know the answer..." He said then turned to the Junpei left, which is half asleep Minato.

"Was I boring you Minato?"

Wide awake now, Minato lifted his head.

"Erm… No Mr. Ono."

"Don't lie, I'm boring everyone. This Jomon period is nothing to the Sengoku era, but I get paid to teach you this, so the least you can do is pay attention."

"I'm sorry sir."

Yukari raised her hand. "Sir, he and Souji-kun just got out of hospital this morning."

The teacher shook his head. "Fine then Minato, I'll let you off if you can tell me what was the style of house in the Jomon period called, since Junpei couldn't tell us."

Everyone in class turned to look at Junpei, who sat there looking embarrassed.

Minato then stood up from his seat, "Its style is called Mud huts sir, Mud huts were built by digging a hole in the ground and supporting the roof," Minato answered.

Everyone in the class was staring at Minato in silence except Souji and Hamuko, who already know the answer.

"That's correct... I see you've been studying at home... ugh... I can't wait until we get to the age of Katanas. Everything else is so dull..."Mr. Ono said that last part to himself.

As Minato sat back on his seat, he hears his classmate whispering to each other.

"Woah, answering the question after dozing off through the lesson?"

"I know, Minato-kun is really smart…"

"That's pretty awesome, getting one over a teacher like that."

"I know! That was so cool."

"I wish I was that smart…"

"Better start studying more…"

Without Minato knowing, he became slightly popular among the students.

* * *

After school was over, the Arisato twin with Souji rushed to the dormitory because there something important to discuss with everyone.

When they back to the dorm, they see no one in the lounge, so they decide to go to the 4th floor like Yukari has said this early morning.

When they arrived on the fourth floor, Yukari already waiting for them in front of a door.

"Oh, there you guys are. Let's go inside, everyone is already waiting." She said as they enter the room.

As they inside the room, they sees Mitsuru, the Chairman, and a student with grey hair.

"Ah, there you guys are... I'm glad that you three are okay." Said Ikutsuki. "The reason I asked you three here is because I needed to talk to you... please, have a seat." They nodded and take a seat on the couch. Ikutsuki then continued, "Oh before that... I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." He introduced the trio to the student with gray hair.

"How ya doin'?" Akihiko said with his arms half raised.

"Okay, let me start off by asking you three this..." Ikutsuki was talking to Minato, Hamuko and Souji, but he had the attention of everybody in the room. "Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?"

"Yes." "Uh-huh." Answer Minato and Hamuko, Souji just nodded.

"Eh? You mean that you three already aware that there's one extra hour on a day? That's a surprise." Mitsuru said.

Yukari looked concerned "Erm… When did you awaken, exactly?"

"When we were seven years old, we have been experiencing it for the past ten years, why?" Minato answered Yukari question.

Silence.

Yukari and Akihiko merely looked surprised, but Mitsuru and Ikutsuki looked white as a paper.

Yukari broke the silence "T-Ten years?"

Mitsuru then nodded. "That would explain why you're adapted so well…"

"Yes. Though it was our first time seeing those creatures, but not for Souji-kun though. He and you guys are the first one we encountered that seemed active during _that_ time." Minato said as he looked at them. "Just what is _that_ time anyway?"

"That's the Dark Hour, a time period hidden between one day and the next." Mitsuru answered.

Ikutsuki continued, "It's more like something people aren't aware of. But, the dark hour exists, it occurs each night, at midnight as the clock strikes twelve. It will happen tonight, and every night to come."

Akihiko turned to Souji, Minato and Hamuko. "You've probably figured this out by now, but the reason no-one figures out about the dark hour is because they're all sleeping inside their coffins… But that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting..." Akihiko then stand up, "You saw those creatures, we call them 'Shadows'. They appear only during the dark hour, and attack anyone who's not in a coffin. It's our job to defeating them... Sounds exciting, huh?"

Mitsuru didn't seem to share the sentiment as she stood up. "Akihiko! Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!"

"Now, now." Ikutsuki intervened, "He does his work well."

"Speaking about defeating shadows, isn't you says that you have fought them before, Sou-chan?" asked Hamuko to Souji, who silent for the entire conversation.

"Now that Arisato-imouto said it, and Takeba also mention the same thing, do you know Persona and Shadows before you move here?" asked Mitsuru, looking at Souji.

Souji closed his eyes, and answered, "Yes..."

"How do you know?"

"... It's rather complicated... I will explain to you guys later, after this discussion ended." Souji said with serious tone. He will tell them, but not the whole truth about himself, just a part about how persona and shadow.

"Very well then." Mitsuru answered as she and Akihiko both sat down. "Mr. Chairman, if you please?"

Ikutsuki nodded at Mitsuru, then turned to look at Minato, Hamuko and Souji, "Long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—'S.E.E.S' for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows." He paused for breath. "Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor."

Mitsuru then took the lead. "A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse. They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

"What about the police?" Hamuko couldn't help but asked, although the answer is obvious.

"Unfortunately, the police can't do anything during the Dark Hour..." Mitsuru answered.

"Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour." Ikutsuki telling them, "Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. And that is 'Persona'—the power you three used the other night." He faces Souji, Minato and Hamuko. "The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means," He gestured to the whole room, "It's all up to you guys."

"I see." Minato said.

Ikutsuki smiled at him. "I see you're quick to under-"

"So?"

Ikutsuki stopped dead.

Mitsuru got up and put three metal briefcase on the table. Opening each three up, it had a copies of Yukari's 'gun' in shaped foam padding, as well a red armbands on the inside of the metal briefcase. "What he is trying to say is that we want you to join us. We've prepared Evoker's for you, We'd like you three to lend us your strength." She then turned to face Souji, "Although for Seta part, with how he summons his persona without an Evoker, made me curious. You can take the Evoker with you as a symbol."

"You saw it?"

Mitsuru nodded. "On the security videos."

"And none of you thought to help?" Souji said bitterly.

Everyone was stunned by what he said, which only got worse as Souji continued. "The video consoles are in here right? So you guys just watching us while we was outnumbered, that big shadow and the smaller shadows gonna kill us. So considering you saw me summon Izanagi, then he fighting the big shadow and losing as Minato-san summon his persona, who also fighting the shadow, then his persona being replaced by stronger one then going berserk after it defeat the bigger shadows while we surrounded by the smaller shadows. You guys can have been able to help us for the entire fight!"

Minato then say, "Souji-kun's right, What if I hadn't been able to kill it? What if Thanatos didn't show up? Because Orpheus wasn't strong enough to take that thing down. And, what if when berserk, Thanatos wants to kill us? Or, more likely..." He glared at Ikutsuki and Mitsuru. "What if Souji-kun had collapsed before fighting the underlings and I collapsed before giving Hamuko the evoker? The four of us would be dead, because you assumed, I don't even know what you were thinking!"

"I apologise." Ikutsuki was the first to respond. "Both Akihiko and Mitsuru immediately rushed to help you, but I asked them to stop once you picked up Yukari's evoker. It was the best opportunity to see your potential. But while we're at it, why don't you tell me how you know what to do?"

"Because Yukari that's what Yukari tried to do." Minato answered.

"Really?" Ikutsuki smiled. "And how did you know that she wasn't trying to commit suicide, rather than face defeat."

"Because I have guts feeling that is the right things to do." He answered back.

Ikutsuki just leaned back in his chair, clutching his face. Everyone else was silent.

Yukari simply looked at Minato, looking ashamed. "I-I'm sorry… I can understand if you guys don't want to join us now, but please consider it!"

Souji, Minato and Hamuko looked at each other, then smiled as Minato say, "We never said we wouldn't join."

That got everyone's attention.

"If I decide not to join and people die because I'm not fighting, then that's my fault." He then turned to Hamuko.

"I will always on your side onii-chan. Because we are sibling, I always know what you're thinking right?" Hamuko smiled, and then looked at Souji.

The silver haired teen just silent, but then smiled, "Just like Minato-san have said, I will not let anyone die before my eyes while I have the power to prevent it."

Ikutsuki smiled, relieved, and Mitsuru and Yukari sighed.

"I'm afraid that you guys will said no." Yukari then smiled, "Welcome aboard!"

"Thank you so much, I'm really glad." Ikutsuki also said in relief, "Oh, I almost forgot... About your room assignment... Because this is a dorm for persona-user like you all and made by Kirijo Group... I must ask that you guys must stay in your current room... so that we can communicate smoothly."

"Fine by us." Said Minato.

"So that the matter is done. Can you explain to us about how you know about persona and shadow, Seta?" asked Mitsuru.

"Okay, but first thing of, do you know what _exactly_ shadows and persona is?"

"Shadow is a monster that appears during the Dark Hour and preys on those who are conscious. And persona is the power of our personality that coming from our souls. Aside from that, we're don't know much." Answer Mitsuru.

"Shadow is more than that. It is actually the collective unconsciousness who was created by negative emotion of human heart. "

"Wait! You said that shadows are created by human because of their negative emotion. Do that means, we also unconsciously created and have one shadows each person!?" Yukari asked.

Souji nodded, then continued, "A Persona is a manifestation of a person's personality, it's referred to as a 'mask' for an individual to use to face hardship. Persona is actually similar to shadow. Shadows are malevolent manifestations of one's inner thoughts, while-"

"Hold on! So you say that Persona and Shadows is basically the same thing!?" Akihiko interrupting Souji.

"Yes and no." Souji answered him. "While a Persona is a manifestation of the same feelings, but tamed and trained. If an individual takes up a resolution in their heart, the Persona will undergo a metamorphosis in to a stronger form."

"Metamorphosis?" asked Minato.

"Stronger form?" asked Hamuko.

"It's mean the persona's form will change and become stronger." Souji telling them.

Silence...

Mitsuru couldn't help but stuttered when asked, "H-How do you know all of this?"

"Believe it or not, but I'm actually know it from Shadow's world."

Silence...

And after those words registered to their brain, then...

"""""SHADOW'S WORLD!?"""""" all of them shouted, except Souji of course.

"Such a thing is exist!?" Ikutsuki said in disbelief. But seeing Souji serious expression, he couldn't help but believe him. "Then why we don't know about it before hands!?"

"It's because the shadow's world is far from normal people reach..." Souji then stood up, "And only can be accessible by natural persona user..." He walking toward the large screen in the command room, stood in front of it, and turned to face them, his eyes changed to golden, surprising them except the twin. "And what I mean by natural persona user is the one who can do this."

Souji then raised his right hand as a tarot card surrounded by blue flame with roman number _XXI, The World_ Arcana descending from upward and down toward Souji's palm.

"Izanagi!" he then crushed the card with his palm, The occupant of the room watched in awe as the Father of Gods appeared, wearing black coat with his sword gripped by his right hand, hovering above Souji.

"This is my method for summoning my persona." Souji told them as he let Izanagi disappear.

"That is something that has been bugging me for a while since we see you fight against shadows. While we use evoker to summon our persona, you are using a card. But my question is _how_ you do it?" asked Mitsuru.

Souji turned to look at her, "To do this, you must face your shadow-self."

"Shadow-self?" this time Yukari is the one who asked.

"The form of darkest facets of your personalities. In the other word, your shadow. The collective of your negative personalities, heart and emotion that you locked away and you refuse to face it."

"... Then how we found our shadow-self?" asked Hamuko.

"... In the Shadow's World..." Souji answered.

"And where is that?" this time Ikutsuki asked.

"Like I said before. Shadow's world is far from normal people reach. While Dark Hour is like you said, can be accessed by a person who have potential to becoming persona-user. Shadow's World is only can be accessed by natural persona user, in other word a person who already face their shadow-self." Souji paused, then continued, "Even inside this room already have a portal to the said world."

"What!? Where?" Akihiko asked as all of them except Souji look around the room.

"At the behind me." he said then all head turned to look at what behind Souji.

"... A screen... ?"

"Yep."

"How in the world a screen is a way to the shadow's world!?"

"Just look." Souji said as he turned to the screen, stretched out his right arm toward the screen. When his finger touched it surface. And to the shock of the occupant of the room, the surface of the screen make a ripple effect as his right arm slowly sunk into the screen.

"W-What!?" Yukari said with shocked expression.

"How is that possible!?" ask the surprised Mitsuru.

"Wow!" Hamuko amazed, while the other is to shocked to said anything.

Souji then pulled his arm back from the screen and looked back to the six of them, who stared at him with shocked expression except Hamuko, being who she is, she's just amazed.

"Well... Any question?" He asked them.

"H-How you can do that!?" Akihiko asked him as they stood up from their chair and rushed toward Souji, or the screen, and then touching the surface of the screen like Souji did a second ago. But none of their hand sinks to the screen. "Why we can't do it like you?"

Souji shrugged, "It's because I awakened my persona inside the Shadow's world, or you can call it, a world inside the TV. Or TV world for short." Then he looked at Akihiko, "Why you can't access the TV world right now is because you haven't already faced your shadow-self while I already faced it." Souji lied, of course he never met his shadow-self. He awakened his power because he met with Izanami when he first arrives in Inaba.

"Then how you going to the TV World when you haven't awakened your persona?" Asked Mitsuru.

"... I don't remember." He lied again.

"You're... not remember how you going there for the first time?" Yukari asked him.

"... Yes."

"Then how did you get out from there?"

"Well... after I faced my shadow-self and awakened my persona, I'm then chased by mobs of shadows, and thankfully, there's also TV inside there, I accidentally run and crashed to one of it so I unconsciously got out from there and I already in front of my TV inside my own room." Souji feel bad for lying to them. But it's necessary for keeping the real reason as a secret from everyone.

"So it's a coincidence then?"

"Maybe..."

"Then how we can enter to that world?"

"Actually there is a way to enter that world... and it is you must touch me when I was about to enter the TV world..." Souji answered. "But I suggest we're not doing that."

"Why?" asked Minato.

"Before I explained it, do one of you guys mind to summon your persona?" asked Souji.

"For what?" asked Yukari, she still nervous about summoning her persona because it will be her first time to summon it.

"To confirming something." Souji said as his eyes turned golden. "Don't worry. I just analyze the process of how you summon your persona."

"I'll do it." Minato said as he grabbed the evoker from the briefcase, and then pointed it on his right temple.

"Orpheus..." he muttered and pulled the trigger.

The master of strings appeared once again from Minato's soul as Souji looked at him then and then to Orpheus.

"Well?" asked Minato to Souji.

"Hmm... I see..." Souji muttered and nodded to himself. "Minato-san, you can dismiss your persona now."

Mitsuru looked at Souji as Orpheus form disappear, "So... how is it?"

"... What can I say is... the method of summoning persona like that is rather forced your persona to come out from your soul." He looked at them, "It's safe to continuing summon your persona like that, but it also hindered the persona to reached their full potential to become stronger. That is what I can concluded when I see you summon your persona..."

"... I... see." Mitsuru nodded. "Is there a way to summon it without forced it out?"

"While I can bring you guys to the TV world, it's also full of risk. So I'm not suggested it"

"What is the risk?"

"The risk is that your Shadow-self will come out and talking about your bad side to everyone who listening and you don't want to accept it will make your shadow-self going berserk and kill you." Souji paused, letting his words to sink to their mind. "For those who face their own personal Shadows and accept them can use their power as Personas while those who deny their shadows as part of themselves will be attacked and killed by them or disappear completely if the person was malicious and cruel."

They all fell silent as they registered Souji's words. "You guys don't want your bad side to hear by everyone else don't you?"

"So, the safest method without going to the TV world is we have to accept what we are, even our darkest emotion from our heart. For short, you must not lying to yourself and accept whoever you are, even if it's hard to face your bad side..." Muttered Minato loud enough for them to hear.

"I see then... well, is there something else that we need to know, Seta?" asked Mitsuru.

"That's all what I know about Shadows and Persona so far." Answer Souji while shook his head.

Ikutsuki then rose from his chair, "Well, because now is already late, why don't you guys rest and end this meeting, I need to discuss something with Mitsuru and Akihiko. Don't worry, it's all clerical... and I must apologize, I shouldn't have acted that way when lives were in danger, I am sincerely sorry."

They nodded and walked out the room and bid each other goodnight before going to their own room while thinking about what they have talked in the command room.

**Author Note:**

**I am really sorry about the crappy explanation and the horrible grammar in all chapter!**

**It's because I'm really sleepy after drink my medicine while I write this chapter...**

**Medicine you say? Yes, I am is sick.**

**So, pleasedon'tflameme! But critics is okay...**

**Anyway... if you want to following until next chapter, we will read about their first exploration inside the Tower of Demise!**

**Until then... farewell... **


	5. 4 The Tower of Demise, Tartarus part I

**Finally reached**** more than ****1k view!**

**And thank you for the supporting review!**

**So I decide****d ****to continue this story!**

**If this story is popular, I will make it into trilogy. That if the story is not discontinued.**

**But, don't worry! I don't have a plan to abandoned this story while I still have my imagination and of course, my laptop!**

**Let's began read this chapter shall we...**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN P3, P3P AND PERSONA 4.** **THEY ARE BELONG TO ATLUS.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Tower of Demise, Tartarus****. part I**

(_20__/04/2009_ \- _Dark Hour – Minato's Room_)

Minato can't sleep since he entered his room and until Dark Hour came, he was still thinking about what they had been talking about inside the command room.

"Hi, how are you?"

Minato nearly jumped from his bed when he heard that childish voice, turning around from the side of his bed he see the mysterious boy. The one with prisoner-like clothes when he first arrives in this dorm with Hamuko and Souji, and who gave him a contract before. Sitting on his bed while chuckling at his reaction.

From many question inside Minato's mind he choose a simple question, "How do you get in here?"

"I'm always with you..." the mysterious boy replied, "Soon, the end will come... I remembered, so I thought that I should tell you."

Minato raised an eyebrow, "The end?"

The boy nodded, "The end of everything... But to be honest, I really don't know what it is…" he then stood up from Minato's bed, "Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power... And an unusual power it is…"

"You mean the power of Persona?"

The boy shook his head. "Yours is different. A power that takes many forms yet is bound by none… It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." He then disappears from the side of the bed then reappears again near the door. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Minato nodded "Yeah, you give me and Hamuko that contract then vanished. How can I can't to not remember?"

"Good then, I expect you to honor your commitment..." the mysterious boy then turned from Minato. "I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me... Okay then, see you later." He then disappeared from Minato's room.

* * *

(_Later, on_ _Hamuko's room_)

"Ugh! I can't sleep!" Hamuko yelled from her bed, then sat up, noticed that she really sweaty, "Guess I'll have to change my pajamas then..."

She get up from her bed and walking toward wardrobe, opened it, then began take off her clothes one by one until leaving only her undergarment. She was about to took it off too until a voice make her to stop.

"Hello, how have you been?" said a boy's voice.

Hamuko turned around and met with the mysterious boy from Minato's room, sitting on the side of her bed.

"..."

The two of them not said anything, the mysterious boy keep smiling while Hamuko's brain hasn't registered the situation, yet.

When Hamuko's brain processed that there's a boy in her room, watching her while she changing, when she almost naked. Hamuko doing what other normal girls would do in this kind of situation.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" She screamed as her hands tried to cover her chest and her modesty area.

"W-What?"

"PERVERT!"

"Pervert!? Where!?"

"I MEAN IS YOU!"

The pervert bo- erm, I mean the mysterious boy looked confused as he pointing his hand to himself, "Me?"

"YES! YOU!" Hamuko angrily screamed while her hand still covered her chest area and her other hand tried to reached a clothes from the wardrobe to covered her body.

"W-Wait a minute!" the boy raised his hand to the front in defense manners, "I'm not interested in your body!"

That's seemed the wrong choice of words from the boy because it's only make Hamuko angry.

"YOU MEAN THAT MY BODY IS NOT ATRACTIVE!?" she then throwing the clothes she use for covering her body to the boy, which he dodged.

"No! I mean yes! Erm, I mean no!" he said while dodging something that Hamuko throwing at him, "What I mean is that I'm here not to peeking on you!"

"THEN WHAT!?" she throwing a hanger.

"I just want to tell you something while I remembered it!" the boy dodged.

"TELLING ME WHAT!?" Hamuko keep throwing what inside the wardrobe to the mysterious boy.

He just keep dodging, "I'm telling you that-" then something soft hit his face, "What is this?" the boy reached that something on his face and holding it to the front, which revealed to be Hamuko's bra.

"Y-You!" Hamuko's face is red because of anger, or embarrassment.

"W-Wait! I'm not interested on you or your stuff!" the boy then take a step back but tripped something and fell to the floor, he groaned and picked something that what made him tripped and lo and behold, which revealed to be Hamuko's underwear as the boy holding it tightly, big mistake. "...Erm, it's not like what you think... ?"

"GET OUT! YOU PERV!"

"W-Wait! I am trying to tell you that the end will come!"

"THE ONE WHO WILL END IS YOU IF YOU'RE NOT LET GO OFF MY STUFF FROM YOUR HAND AND GET OUT FROM MY ROOM! NOW!" Hamuko shouted.

"Eeep! Yes ma'am!" the boy then running to the door, opening it then get out from there and closed the door. Forgetting that he can only just disappear from there.

* * *

(_Souji's room_)

"Is this the right thing? Telling them about Persona, shadows and the TV world?" Souji muttered to himself while he lied down on his bed, still in his uniform. He then rolled to the side and sighed, "*_sigh_*Just lets the flow of time decided it... Besides, I will accept any of the consequences of my action anyways."

He closed his eyes, but can't sleep. Then he feel someone presence.

"G-Good Evening." stuttered a childlike voice, sounded tired and little panicked.

Souji turned to the origin of the voice and see the mysterious boy, who appeared to be out of breath, like he has been running (_A/N: Do a ghost can run?_) and pursued by monster.

"You're... the boy from the other night." Souji realized.

"Yes... it's good... that you remembered." He said between gasping breath.

"Erm... are you alright? You seemed... exhausted?" Asked Souji.

The mysterious boy then regained his breathing, "Yes, I am okay... just there are some misunderstanding... before I got here." The boy said, not sure to himself.

"Ookay... ?" Souji said, uncertain. "So, why are you here?"

The boy then laughed a little, "Haha, you're strange one aren't you? I just here to tell you something."

"About what?"

"Soon, the end will come. I remembered so I thought I should tell you, like what I am telling them."

"The end? Them?" Souji, asked confused.

"The end of everything... like I have been telling the two of them, who have the power like you." The boy answered.

"You mean Minato-san and Hamuko-san?" Souji asked as the boy nodded, "But what do you mean about the end of everything?"

The mysterious boy then shook his head, "To be honest... I don't really know what it is."

Souji thought for a moment then said, "Whatever that the end is, I will stop and prevent it for happening." He said seriously to the boy, who chuckled.

"I guess I made the right choice by coming here to see you. Normal people wouldn't be able to notice me, but you... you're like them. I'll be watching you. See you later..." said the boy as he vanished. Leaving only Souji in his room.

Needless to say, the three teens that had been visited by the mysterious boy didn't sleep at all that night, because wondered about what that boy had said, while one person is can't sleep because of different reason, and it's embarrassment.

* * *

(_21/04/2009 – Early Morning – Hamuko's Room_)

_Knock-knock_

Hamuko opened the door sleepily, and was greeted by Yukari.

"Good morning, err... are you alright? You look exhausted." she stated.

Hamuko shook her head tiredly, "No, *_yawn_* I didn't get much sleep at all last night... until now..."

"Are you still thinking about what Souji-kun has said about persona and shadow last night?"

"Those too, let's just go to wake onii-chan and Sou-chan up and go to school..." Hamuko said.

"If you say so..." said Yukari uncertainly.

As both of them going down the stairs to the second floor, Yukari asked, "Hamuko-chan, last night as the Dark Hour came, why your room is noisy?"

"I had a nightmare... let's just hope that is only a nightmare."

"What kind of nightmare that make you up until morning?" Yukari asked curiously as they reached the second floor and walking toward Minato's and Souji's room.

"... A boy with prisoner outfit came to peep at me as I changed my clothes when the Dark Hour came..." Hamuko answered.

Yukari shuddered thinking about that, "That really creepy... If I am the one who have nightmare like that, I will throw something at that boy."

"That's what I do..."

In front of Minato's room, Yukari knocked the door.

When the door opened, it revealed an exhausted Minato, but already wear his school uniform.

"Minato-kun? Are you okay?" Yukari asked the blue haired teen in front of her.

Minato shook his head, "... didn't get much sleep..." he yawned as he closed the door behind him, "...Have a nightmare..."

"What kind of nightmare?" she asked.

"... I saw a boy around ten years old during the Dark Hour... he appeared from nowhere and telling me about the end, the end of everything, then vanished like that..." Minato not noticing that Yukari's face paling after he said that.

"Same here..." Souji said as he opened the door of his room and stepped out then closing it back. "Plus the prisoner outfits he wearing..." he also appeared exhausted.

"Now that I remember it, he also wears the same thing and telling about the end thingie." Hamuko said, now fully awake.

"Y-You three seeing the same thing? C-Come on, don't make a joke like that." Yukari said nervously.

"We're not joking Yukari-san..." Souji telling her, "That boy told me that he already tells Minato-san and Hamuko-san the same thing..." he paused as he yawned, "But... what was he? You cannot just disappear and reappear like that. Unless..."

"""GHOST!""" Minato, Hamuko and Souji said that together, then...

_Thud_

Yukari fell to the floor, unconscious.

...

"Is she scared of ghost?" asked Souji.

"Maybe, since hears the word 'ghost' can make her fell unconscious like that." Stated Hamuko as she kneeling on Yukari's side, then begin shook her, "Yukari-chan, wake up! Or we were going late for school!"

"..." no response.

"Hey! Yukari-chan, wake up!"

"..." still no response.

"*_sigh_* There's no other choices then..." she then turned to Minato. "Onii-chan! Kiss her!"

"Waiduh-what!?"

"You heard me! Kiss! Her!"

"Why do I need to kiss her!?"

"Because there's a story when a sleeping princess will wake up from her slumber if a handsome prince kiss her!" answered Hamuko dreamily.

"That's only in fairy tale! And why me!?"

"Isn't obvious? There's no way my first kiss is with girl, and Sou-chan is too polite to do it. That's leaving only you." Hamuko then stood up and walking toward his brother, and then walking to behind him, "Besides, if Sou-chan kisses her, you will jealous to no end. And before you said no, I know you have a crush on Yukari-chan." She said before Minato could argue.

"Ugh! Souji-kun!" Minato intentions actually want to ask for help, but the silver haired teen turned his head away, whistling, then said, "Oh my, what a clear weather today..."

"T-There's no way I will kiss her if there any witness-" Minato stopped his sentence as he covered his mouth with his hand.

"Oho! So you actually want to kiss her?" Hamuko said, "Then what are you waiting for! Go, oh her prince of charming!" she then pushed Minato from behind him.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for Minato, he tripped Yukari's schoolbag which lying on the floor innocently, make him fall to the top of Yukari, their face is inched closer from each other. If someone else sees their position, they will think that he will try to rape her, which in reality, is not.

"Wow! Onii-chan! You're so bold!" Hamuko said innocently while Souji covered both his eyes with his finger, but his left eye peeking through between his fingers.

Not moving from his position, Minato could only stare at Yukari's face, which has her eyes closed like she is sleeping. "_She's too cute..._" he thought as his cheeks began tinged red.

At that moment, Yukari's eyes opened slowly. Her brown eyes then meet Minato's gray bluish one. Then realizing their position, which Minato on top on her while she at the bottom.

Realized that Yukari now awake, Minato could only gulping and say, "Err... it's not like what you think?"

Yukari face went red as tomatoes.

* * *

Later, at the school gate...

"Yo, what's up guys?" the group of four people hear someone calling them, turned around they see Junpei approaching.

"Listen, you're not gonna belie-" Junpei began but stopped when he see Minato's face, "Dude! What happened to your face?"

"...I don't want to tell you..." Minato said while rubbing his left cheek, which have a red handprint on it, or you can call it a slap mark courtesy from Yukari's hand as the result of this morning accident. He then glanced at Yukari, when she noticed Minato gaze and their eyes meet, she turned her head away with red face, thought only Hamuko is the only one who noticed it.

"_Wait, red face? Is she blushing?"_ thought Hamuko, then she smirking, "_Ohoho! So this is not one sided love then! And onii-chan just triggered the love event that leaving deep impression on Yukari-chan when the kissing accident nearly happened!_"

Hamuko then chuckled evilly, making Souji who standing on his side, sweatdropped.

"Um, Hamuko-san? Why are you chuckling like that?" asked Souji nervously.

"Nothing Sou-chan, I just have some interesting thought, that's all." She answered as she continuing chuckled.

"...I don't think that I want to know..."

"Hehehe, actually Junpei-kun, there's something happened at the dorm this morning." Said Hamuko to Junpei.

"Really? What happened?"

"And it's connected to onii-chan and Yukari-chan." She said as Yukari and Minato looked suddenly at her in alarm.

"Ooh! I smell some scandal here!" exclaimed Junpei. "Then?"

"This morning, Yukari-chan noticed that onii-chan is looking exhausted than usual and asked what happened to him..."

"Uh-huh?" Junpei nodded, "And then?" he asked

"Onii-chan telling her that he is has a nightmare..." Hamuko continued, ignored Minato and Yukari who made a gesture for her to stop talking, "And then I found out a shocking truth!"

"What is it, come on tell me!?" Junpei urged, "Are she comfort him? Are she hugging him? Or, is she kissing him?" That last part made Minato and Yukari even more looked panicked, and blushed.

"Turns out that..."

"Yes, Yes? What is it? What you found out?" Junpei is getting impatient.

"Its turns out that Yukari-chan is scared of ghost!" Hamuko said that and then running toward their classroom while giggling madly, leaving the four of them standing in front of school gate speechless.

Then Minato sighed in relief while Yukari mixed between relief and also embarrassed that his secret about her scared of ghost is found out.

"HAMUKO!/ HAMUKO-CHAN!" both of them yelled together then started chasing after her, leaving only Souji and Junpei.

"... That's what she found out? That's don't answer my question about what happened to Minato's cheek!" Junpei turned to look at Souji, "So, what really happened?"

"*_sigh_* I don't want to get involved." Souji said then started walking toward the classroom as the bell rung.

* * *

After school, inside the clasroom...

Minato and Yukari punishing Hamuko by pinched both sides of her cheeks while lecturing her about keep someone secret away.

"And that's what we want to said... are you understood?"

"I undwewstand I em rweawlly swowy so please let go off mwy chweeks its hwurts!(I understand, I am really sorry so please let go off my cheeks it's hurt!)" cried Hamuko with anime tears.

"Good then..." said Minato as both he and Yukari let go off Hamuko's cheeks.

"You two are so mean..." Hamuko said while rubbed her cheeks.

"You're the one who started it."

Souji found the situation is quite amusing for him until they stopped when they noticed Mitsuru entering their classroom and walked toward them.

"Can I have a minute?" she asked, "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." Mitsuru left as soon as she was done.

...

"...Just that?" said Minato and Souji as they watched Mitsuru figure exit from their class.

"That was fast..." Hamuko said, still rubbing her cheeks.

Yukari then sighed, "She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us..."

"Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?" Junpei who has been eavesdropping their conversation, joined in.

"Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just..." Yukari not continue her sentence, "N-Never mind... Let's go back to the dorm." She then grabbed her bag and get out of classroom.

"Yukari-chan! Wait up!" Hamuko also grabbed her bag and followed after her.

"Shall we also going back now?" Souji asked Minato.

He nodded, "Okay."

With that, Minato and Souji go out from the classroom, leaving Junpei with some other students.

"Man... they forgot about me!" Junpei then shrugged, "Whatever... I bet they will surprise tonight."

* * *

That evening, in the dorm...

Mitsuru already waiting for them in the lounge, "Welcome back."

"...Okay, we're here now. So, what's this all about?" Yukari asked her.

"Before that, let's waiting for Akihiko to come back with someone." Mitsuru answered.

"Someone?" asked Hamuko while tilted her head to the side.

Then the door of the entrance opened as Akihiko coming in, "Oh, you guys already here? Perfect timing. There's someone I wanna to introduce." He turned to face outside and barked, "Hey! Hurry up!"

"Hold your horses," replied a familiar voice. "This is freakin' heavy…"

Junpei came in through the door dragging some travel cases and had a sports bag across his back.

Minato, Souji, Hamuko and Yukari surprised to see him, thought only Yukari that the most surprised.

"J-Junpei!? ...Why is HE here!?" Shouted Yukari as she looked toward Akihiko while pointing to Junpei.

"This is Junpei Iori from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as for today." Akihiko replied.

"Heheh, wazzup?" Junpei just grinning widely as he placed his right hand to the back of his head.

"You will stay HERE starting today!? No way! It has to be a mistake!" Yukari looked toward Akihiko to get confirmation.

Akihiko looked at Junpei, and turned back toward them, "I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently... I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

"You have the potential!? For real!?" Yukari said in disbelief.

Junpei went into a complaining mode. "He found me crying like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins. I don't remember much but… Man, that's embarrassing!" he shook his head.

"You got lost?" asked Minato.

"I wasn't lost! Anyway, He said that was, you know, completely normal... In the beginning." Junpei half raised his arms as he continued, "Like, being confused and not remembering anything. Did you guys know that?"

"That didn't happen to the two of us." Minato replied as Hamuko nodded.

"Same here." Souji also didn't feeling like that when he first experiencing Dark Hour.

Junpei laughed, "Good one man."

"No, me and Hamuko can't remember what we were like when we first experiencing it."

Junpei looked at them, "Seriously?"

"Yes Junpei, they're dead serious." Said Yukari to him, "Minato-kun and Hamuko-chan already awaked since ten years ago. While I don't know about Souji-kun, he has been long since he awakened, but not recently."

"For real!?" Junpei looked shocked.

"Well, enough with the introductions." Akihiko said. "I think we're about ready..."

Junpei then looked excited, "Ooh, we're gonna go do something? Sweetness!"

"Okay, everybody's here."

They turned their attention to the man who spoke. Mitsuru spoke first, "Mr. Chairman." She said as Ikutsuki walking down the stairs and then walks toward them.

"For a long time." He began. "Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to seven. Therefore… Starting tonight at 12:00AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"Tartarus? What's that?" Junpei asked the question on everyone's mind, "Sounds like toothpaste."

Yukari looked at the four of them, "Oh right. You guys haven't seen it yet."

Ikutsuki continued, "It's no surprise... since it only appears during the Dark Hour. We believe we can find the reason behind the dark hour there."

"Dark... Hour?" asked Junpei.

"Just like the shadows... Interesting, huh?" Said Akihiko. "And it's the perfect place for us to train... You can think of it as a shadow nest. Like the TV world that Souji said other night."

"TV world?" asked Junpei again.

"But, Senpai... what about your injury?" Hamuko asked, ignoring Junpei.

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet and will take at least another month to heal, he'll only be coming as far as the entrance." Mitsuru seemed adamant about this.

Akihiko sighed in defeat. "Yeah, I know…"

"Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't go too far in." Ikutsuki interjected, taking back everyone's attention, "Since we're dealing with shadows, Tartarus isn't something we can avoid."

"I'm not sure about this..." said Yukari rather nervous.

Minato and Souji turned to Ikutsuki. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'll stay here thanks." Ikutsuki looked embarrassed. "As you know, I can't summon a Persona…"

"Can someone telling me what are you guys talking about!?" Junpei yelled.

"Relax, Junpei-kun. We fill you in when we go to that Tartarus place." Said Hamuko as they begin walk toward their own room to prepare.

* * *

When late night...

They all followed Mitsuru and Akihiko to their destination while explained all they knew to Junpei about Dark Hour, Persona, Shadows and TV world that Souji has explained to them, which make Junpei feeling nervous when Souji explained that shadow-self can come out and blabbering about your bad side inside the TV world.

"So we summon our persona by shoot ourself in the head?" asked Junpei to Souji.

He nodded.

"And you can summon your persona without this evoker-thing after we faced our shadow-self?"

He nodded.

"And we must accept our bad sides if we want to summon our persona like you?"

"Yep."

Junpei then slumped his shoulder. "Man, that will be hard."

"We're arrived at the place." Said Mitsuru.

They then looked at what in front of them and fairly confused and surprised when they see the place.

The Gekkoukan High, their own school.

"This is it? THIS is the place?" Junpei asked, surprised. "Why HERE?"

"Just wait a few minutes..." answer Akihiko while he looked at the time on his cellphone. "It's almost midnight."

Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One...

Zero... And the world around them turned green.

Minato, Hamuko, Souji and Junpei watched in shock when the school rose. It started to twist as it ascended, with pillars shooting up from the ground. Within moments it was distorted beyond recognition and taller than they could see. The building was as majestic as it was grotesque. The school building has change into a gigantic tower while the ground was covered by blood.

The four of them become speechless at what had been they saw, until Mitsuru voice snapped their attention from it.

"This is Tartarus. The labyrinth inside a tower that reveals itself during the Dark Hour." Mitsuru explained.

"Labyrinth... ? What are you talking about!? What happened to our school!?" asked a panicked Junpei.

"Once the Dark Hour passes," Mitsuru responded "Everything turns back to normal."

Junpei turned to Akihiko. "This is the 'nest' you were talking about? But, why!? ...Why did our school turn into a giant TOWER!?"

Silence was his answer.

"You guys don't know, either?" asked Hamuko to their senpai.

"…...No." Mitsuru replied as she lowered her head in suspicious manners.

Souji raised an eyebrow when noticed that.

Yukari turned to look at Hamuko, "I'm sure it's complicated."

"Well, maybe now we'll find out." Akihiko said, "Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek, this will be our first time exploring it... exciting isn't it?" then he looked at the tower, "There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour..."

"Akihiko." Mitsuru glared at him. "I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today."

Akihiko sighed. "Yeah, I know…" he replied, looked at his broken arm, "You don't have to remind me."

* * *

They all entered inside Tartarus, the lobby was quite wide. There was several things scattered around, a clock, some kind of green machine, a motorbike and a Velvet Door, thought only Souji is the one who can see it. In the middle of room is a set of a stairs leading to a clock shaped door. The walls were floating around above a bottomless pit.

"Whoa... It's just as cool on the inside…" Junpei looked amazed.

Yukari, on the other hand, looked nervous. "But it sure is creepy…"

Mitsuru simply informed us that, "This is only the entrance. The Labyrinth is through the doorway at the top of the stairs." they looked up and found that the clock was missing a large part at 6:00.

"...That's the entrance?" asked Hamuko.

"...Looks like it." Minato said.

"First, we'll have you five get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?" said Akihiko.

"What!?" Yukari wasn't expecting that. "By ourselves?"

"We're not asking you to go very far." Mitsuru clearly thought that this was all reasonable. "Don't worry, I'll be feeding you information from here."

Souji looked at Mitsuru and Akihiko, "You two didn't plan on coming in the first place?"

"That's right." Answered Akihiko, "We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions, since I'm injured and Mitsuru's providing support."

"For real? One of us?" Junpei started jumping up and down while waving his arms frantically, "Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!"

"Uh... we're actually conflicted between the two of you." Minato and Souji looked surprise as Akihiko looked at both of them.

"W-Wait! Why them! They don't look like a leader!" Junpei protested.

"Well, they HAS fought shadows before..." Yukari pointed out.

"Right." Hamuko nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, I know, but still-"

"That's true, but there's another reason. Yukari, Junpei..." Akihiko grabbed his evoker from the holster on his waist, "Can you two summon your persona like both Arisato and Souji did?" he pointed his evoker to his temple, "Bang..." he said as he made gesture to shoot himself in the head, "Or for Souji's case, crush."

Yukari and Junpei looked startled.

"Y-Yeah, of course I can!" Junpei said nervously.

"I think so..." Yukari answered, but not sure to herself.

"These are shadows we're talking about here." Stated Akihiko. "Without your persona, you're screwed." he lowering his gun arm, then looked at Souji and Minato. "So... which one of you who should take the role of leader?"

"As tempting it is, I'm not suited to become a leader, anymore..." Souji said while closing both his eyes, remembered that because of his curiosity with truth, makee the world he has been living for thirteen years, destroyed.

"Anymore?" Mitsuru raised an eyebrow.

"I actually don't want to tell you guys but..." Souji paused, opened his eyes while looked down. "The truth is, I actually once led a group of persona users before."

All of them looked at Souji with wide eyes.

"Seriously!?"

Souji nodded.

"There are other persona users beside us?" asked Mitsuru.

"...Yes."

"Then where are they right now?"

Souji looked up then closed his eyes, "... They're gone..." it's hurt him so much to reminiscing his loved one and friends, "...And it's because of my fault..."

They all fell silent after heard that.

"I-I'm sorry for have asked such a question..." Mitsuru apologize as she lowered her head.

"No... it's okay." Said Souji, holding back tears that threating to fall.

"Are you alright Sou-chan...?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just remembering the times that I spent with them... thats all..." Souji wiped little bit of tears that came out with his arms. He then looked at Akihiko and Mitsuru, "I'm sorry but it's seemed that I'm not fit to become a leader for us."

"I see... then Arisato is the one who in charge until Akihiko healed." Said Mitsuru to Minato, "Is that okay with you?"

Minato closed his eyes, his mind considering it. Not long then he opened his eyes, "I will do it, but for now." He nodded in understanding.

"Are you sure onii-chan?" asked Hamuko.

Minato nodded to her, "I'll take full responsibility for the consequences of my action."

"Good." Akihiko nodded.

When they about stepped forward, Minato and Hamuko noticed something glowing. A strange blue door is sitting in the corner of the lobby.

The Velvet key in their pocket then also glowing blue and begin feeling warm, only the two of them and Souji who noticed it thought, but Souji just keep quiet.

"Onii-chan, is that..." Hamuko whispered to Minato.

"Let's enter it." He whispered back.

The Arisato twin then walked to the corner and stood in front of the strange blue door.

"Minato-kun? Hamuko-chan?" asked Yukari.

Minato opened the door then both of them entered it.

* * *

Velvet Room...

"I've been waiting for you. Please, have a seat." Igor voice greeted them when they enter the Velvet Room.

Minato and Hamuko do like what was said by Igor and sit in their seats.

"The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into... How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

"About that door, we're the only one able to see, touch, or pass through it, right?" asked Minato.

"Of course."

"What about the time?" Hamuko asked.

Igor grinned at their question. "No time passes in the real world when you visit us. Any other questions, or may I continue?"

"We're good. Please continue."

"Marvelous. Your power is unique. It's like the number zero... It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities." Minato and Hamuko nodded. "You are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed."

"Eh?"

"Really?"

"Yes... And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp... But, do not fear." Igor waved his hand, "Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly... Be sure to keep that in mind."

That was a lot to take in for the twins, but they knew Igor was true in everything he said.

"My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord... I'll tell you then about my true role... the manner in which I can best assist you. And my assistant also will aid you." Igor telling them.

"We can come back any time we want, right?" Hamuko asked as she and Minato rising from their chair.

"Correct. Until then... Farewell."

Then they walked out from the Velvet Room.

* * *

Tartarus lobby...

"Hey, are you two alright?" asked Yukari as she and Junpei approached them both

"Yeah, what's up?" Junpei's face moved in front of Minato. "Dude, you look like a zombie."

"It's nothing." Answered Minato and Hamuko together.

"Dude! Don't tell me you're just nodding off!? C'mon man, you're supposed to be our leader, get your head in the game!" Junpei said rubbed his temple, "Don't worry though! I got you covered whenever you need it, man!"

"Come on, Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai already prepared our weapon, let's picks it up." said Yukari.

Souji picked a katana while Minato picked a short-sword, Junpei took a two handed-sword, Hamuko picking up a naginata, Yukari took up a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Before you guys go, here take this." Mitsuru giving each of them an earpiece and some supplies.

"An earpiece?" asked Junpei. "What for?"

"Our way to comunicated and for providing support from here." Mitsuru telling them.

"But senpai, how you're going to do that?" ask Hamuko.

"It's my persona ability." She answered. "It's something similar to clairvoyance."

They all nodded. Minato then turned to the group, "Alright everyone, LET'S GO!" he shouted as they began climbing the stairs of the Tartarus entrance.

**Author Note:**

**Oh, I want to tell you guys something.**

**This will not relate****d****to Persona 4 Arena and Ultimax because the Shadow Ops are can't enter the TV World. But if the sequel of this story is out, and the background story is Persona 4 the golden, maybe****, just maybe****I will add Sho and Labrys to the sequel.**

**So your support will require****d****for this story and it sequel.**

**Until we meet again in the next chapter!**


	6. 5 The Tower of Demise, Tartarus part II

**I'm sorry for the long update...**

**It's because I**** am**** playing project diva f 2****nd**** and Freedom Wars**** on my PlayStation vita for a full ****months****.**

**The game is more ****fun**** than I thought...**

**Also, because I don't have 3ds for Persona Q shadow of the labyrinth game, I watch the walkthroughs on YouTube...**

**And there also news about Persona 5 will be released on this 2015.**

**That is the reason I ****can't**** update**** faster****.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN P3, P3P AND PERSONA 4.** **THEY ARE BELONG TO ATLUS.**

**Chapter 5: The Tower of Demise, Tartarus part II**

* * *

(_Inside Tartarus floor 2 blocks 1, Thebel._)

The entrance they took suddenly closed up and they're now really inside of the labyrinth of Tartarus.

The five of them didn't notice the entrance disappearing since they were in awe of design of the halls, which were the halls of the school that were colored green.

Junpei was the first one to speak, "So, this is it, huh... ?"

"I hope I don't get lost..." said Yukari.

"Yeah..." mumbled Hamuko.

"_Can you all hear me?_" Mitsuru voice can be heard from their earpiece.

"Whoa! Is that you, senpai?" asked the surprised Junpei.

"_I'll be providing audio back up from here on out._"

"You can see inside here?" asked Minato.

"_As I said before. It's my persona ability._" She replied, "_I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day... That's why outside support is imperative._"

"Well, THAT makes me feel a whole lot better..." said Yukari.

"Mitsuru senpai... Can I ask something?" Souji asked.

"_Yes, what is it?_"

"How come the earpiece work? I thought all of the electronic equipment is not working inside the Dark Hour?"

"_They're special._**"** Sounds more like a plot device, but then again, the Evokers worked during the dark hour, and so did the camera system… and basic lighting back at the dorm. "_It made by Kirijo Group._"

"_So__,__ it seems __they knew how to make technology work during the dark hour._" Souji thought.

"_Now, based on your current location,_" Mitsuru continued, "_You can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect._"

Souji and Minato nodded.

"Right!" Hamuko said with determined look.

"Gotcha!" said an enthusiastically Junpei.

"Got it." Yukari said. However, under her breath, she muttered, "Why is she always like that… ?"

Mitsuru either ignored that or didn't notice. "_Let's begin. Keep in mind, these are real battles you'll be engaging in. Now, see if you can eliminate all the Shadows wandering around on this floor._"Minato then lead the way, and they saw something move in the darkness. _"Watch out!"_ Mitsuru warned them, _"__I detect a shadow in front of you__!__" _

"I know, team… prepare to battle." Minato said to others. "Me and Souji-kun will attack the shadow first, then you three surround it." He gives order as they nodded. "Let's go Souji-kun."

"Right." Souji answered back as both of them running toward the unsuspecting shadow. With their own weapon, Both Minato and Souji slashing at the back of the Shadow before jumping back as the shadow split into three shadows and grown blue mask.

"Guys! Surround it!" Minato shouted.

Without further ado, Hamuko, Yukari, and Junpei moved as Minato has told, then surrounded the three blue masked Shadows.

Mitsuru started talking. "_Do you want me to go over the basics of-_"

"IZANAGI!/ORPHEUS!" Souji and Minato summoned their persona to attack the shadow, ignore what will be said by Mitsuru. Izanagi cleaved one shadow to half, while Orpheus slammed his lyre to the other shadow, making it dissolved into black mass.

That leaving only one shadow which has been killed by Hamuko, Yukari and Junpei without summoning their persona, only with their weapon.

_"__What a stunning victory!"_Mitsuru said.

"Hah! That was easy!" said Junpei, feeling proud. "Not breaking a sweat!"

Yukari rolling her eyes, "And that because THREE persona users against ONE small shadow…"

"I think it's a bit … overkill…" Hamuko Murmured, "I almost feel sorry for the shadow though."

"Nah, why are you feel sorry for? At least we killed it right?" Junpei then looked at Minato and Souji, "And without persona too!" he gloated at them.

"That because the two of us never summoned our persona for the first time, Stupei! I bet you're just nervous to summon it!" Yukari said to Junpei, who began sweating bullet about what Yukari said is true.

"W-who said I was nervous." Junpei gulped, "I-I just think if we attacked with my persona, it would be… overkill… ?"

"Our attack is already overkill enough for that shadow, even without a persona, Junpei-kun."

"Right!" Junpei turned to Hamuko and raised his hand for high five.

"As Yukari-chan said, its three persona users versus one small shadow, and we have advantage in number." Hamuko said as Junpei lowered his hand in defeat, "But don't worry you two! I'm sure you can summon your persona when we meet another shadows!"

"Then the next one's all yours." Minato replied. "Come on."

They proceed to move on, and found a staircase. _"Do you see it?"_Mitsuru asked them. _"A staircase is the only way to proceed to the next floor. I can't allow you to go any higher today, but please remember about it next time."_

"Okay then, let's go this way." Said Minato, take the lead.

_"__There's another Shadow ahead of you!"_ Mitsuru speak again. _"You'll be at a disadvantage if the enemy gets the first hit in, so try to surprise your opponents and strike first."_

They could see it easily. Right now it was looking away, but it'd turn round and attack if I went for it. "Yukari-san, you shoot it, Hamuko and Junpei will go for it, then you come help when you can. Junpei, I want you to get the first hit in, since you have the bigger sword. While me and Souji-kun observe you two summon your own persona."

"Got it."

"Oh, Yeah!"

Minato and Souji sighed. Now it's heard them. Sure enough, it turned around and charged.

"Yukari..!"

"HA!" An arrow flew past their heads and it hit the shadow right between the eyes. Junpei ran for the exploding shadow followed by Hamuko.

"Nice shot." Said Minato, There were four shadows this time, and Junpei had already done some serious damage to one of them.

_"__With my power, I can analyse an enemy to determine its weaknesses and strengths." _

"Really Senpai?" Hamuko slashed one of the shadows. "Why don't you then-AGH!" two from the four shadows flew past Hamuko and Junpei, launched itself toward the unsuspecting Minato the attack got Minato good, while the other one toward Souji, reacted on instinct, he sliced the shadow to half while Minato not as lucky as Souji.

"Or would that be too helpful?" Said Minato while clutching were the shadow attacked him.

_"__They're called Cowardly Mayas."_ Mitsuru sounded mad. _"Magician shadows like them are usually weak against fire."_

"HERMES! MARAGI!" and four shadows were burned to ashes. They looked at Junpei, who was grinning and sweating. Behind him there are dark blue figures wearing Romanian helmets with golden wings on the head and the huge ones attached to his lower body part.

While Junpei gloated to Yukari, Minato remembered something.

Orpheus once travelled down to Tartarus to retrieve his love from Hades. After impressing the lord of the underworld with his music, Orpheus was allowed to return to the surface with his wife, as long as he didn't look at her until they left the underworld.

Once he saw sunlight, he forgot the rules and looked back to tell her that they were nearly there. Hermes, the messenger of the gods, flew up and stole her away, trapping her in the underworld forever.

Hermes and Orpheus didn't get on well after that trip into Tartarus, since Orpheus went insane and Hermes got played as the villain.

"_Wait, isn't Eurydice is Orpheus wife?" _Minato thought, he thenlooked toward Hamuko, who watched Junpei persona disappear with expression who can describe as 'awesome'. "_And she is Hamuko's persona…"_

…

_..._

…

"… … … … … … … _No! Bad thought! Bad thought, Minato!" _Minato shook his head. "_There's no way my little sister can be my wife!" _He thought with horror look on his face.

Mitsuru pulled Minato out of his thoughts. _"There seems to be another shadow just around the corner. Approach carefully to avoid being spotted."_

"Right." Minato replied, getting up. "Guh…" "_damn, that shadow managed to get a decent hit in_."

"Minato-san!" Souji caught Minato before he fall.

"Aw, our fearless leader hurt?" Junpei was definitely acting cocky.

Yukari, was looking at Minato's wound with horror look, make him looked down at his wound.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" Junpei said as he and Hamuko approached. "Just patch him up and-HOLY CRAP THAT'S NOT GOOD!"

Yukari looked close to tears. "Th-this is my fault…"

"Eh? No it's not!"

"Yes it is…" Yukari clutched at her evoker. "All because I didn't help you guys fight… IO! …DIA!"

A mechanical cow head with a woman wearing pink dress sitting on top of it with both her hands chained to its horn while her legs is handcuffed, appeared behind Yukari.

A light then envelop Minato as his wound is closing up. They all looked at Yukari in awe except Souji who has a smile on his face.

"W-what? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Never thought that your persona is healing type Yukari-san." Souji answered her.

"Healing type?" Junpei asked.

"Sou-chan?" Hamuko asked Souji.

"I guess we will have a lessons about persona skill." Souji then adopted a thinking pose, "There were nine types of attack that both persona and shadows could use: three physicals, Slash, Strike, and Pierce, four elementals, Wind is Garu, Fire is Agi, Ice is Bufu and Thunder is called Zio. There was also Light and Dark attacks, which were instant knockouts, so we had to dodge them at all costs. Apparently Yukari-san's Persona could also heal with a skill called Dia. Then there were Buffs and Debuffs; Kaja spell made you stronger, and Kunda spell made your opponents weaker. There were also support skills, but they happened automatically." he explained to them.

Souji looked at Yukari, "Yukari-san's persona have Dia, Patra; which can dispels panic, fear and distress for one person, Garu and Magaru skill. Weak to electricity, and resist wind."

"What difference between Garu and Magaru?" Yukari asked him, "Isn't that the same wind spell? Then why have extra 'Ma-'?"

"Good question." Souji nodded, "Garu deals light Wind damage to one foe, while Magaru deals light Wind damage to all foes. The same goes for other skill which have 'Ma-' on it." Seeing all of them nodded, He continued, "The four elementals, for example… is Garu, can become Garula then Garudyne which is deal medium and heavy wind damage to one foe, and the other elements spells also same, they can change to the stronger spell… Oh and there also Almighty spell which is not an elements skill, but it's really powerful spell."

"Then… what about our skills?" All head turned to Junpei, "I mean I know one name and the rest of my skill but I don't know what it's function until I try it."

Souji sighed, "I will scan the status of the rest of you." He focused on Junpei, "Your persona is Hermes, Magician Arcana, weak to wind, resist to fire, and your persona skill is, Cleave, Agi, Maragi, and Re-Patra, which is skill who can, assists one person who's been Knocked Down.

He then turned to the Arisato twins, "Orpheus and Eurydice, the Fools Arcana, weak to electricity and darkness and both of you have the same skills, which is Bash, Agi, Maragi, and Tarunda, skill that can decreases one foe's attack."

Junpei groaned, "Man, we were weak…"

Hearing that Souji just chuckled, "Don't worry guys, the more we have experience, the strongest our skill become."

"What about you Souji-kun?" Asked Minato.

"Me? My persona is Izanagi, the World Arcana, Weak to wind, resist electricity, blocking Darkness spell, and my persona skill is Zio, Mazio, Cleave, Rakukaja which can Increases one ally's Defense,Rakunda which can Decreases one foe's Defense, and Tarukaja which can Increases one ally's Attack."

"Hold on!" Junpei suddenly shouted, "That is your status? I thought you will be like… you know, super strong or something, since you have more experience."

Souji just smiled sadly at them, "Let's just say that this is my punishment…"

"Punishment.. ?" Yukari and Hamuko asked.

"Punishment because I failed in my last journey…" Souji muttered.

"Oh… Sorry… I shouldn't have asked…" Junpei apologized.

"It's okay…"

While they looked at Souji with sympathy, Minato thought, _"Journey?... Is Souji-kun also guest of the Velvet Room before us?"_

They stood there in silence until Mitsuru voice broke in, "_While I also feel sorry, I think we have important mater to do now. I'm curious thought, how you know the status each of their persona?"_

"Well… it's because my eyes." Souji answered truthfully as they began walking again.

"_What about your… oh right. You already show it in the command room."_

They walk in silence until the five of them meet a T-Intersection. Minato poking his head around the corner, and he saw two bulb of shadow. "Guys?"

The other turned to Minato as he explained his plan.

"Err… are you sure it will work?" Junpei asked him rather nervous.

"Trust me Junpei. It will." Minato nodded, "Ready Souji-kun?"

"Always." With that Junpei, Minato and Souji charged forward. Minato ran straight to the middle while Souji and Junpei slashing the back of the two shadows, making it explode into seven Cowardly Maya, who looking around for their attacker. As the shadows noticed Minato in the middle, its surrounded him.

"Just as planned. Hamuko!

"Eurydice!" Hamuko summoned her persona, then command her to aim carefully, "Maragi!"

Eurydice playing a fairly aggressive tune as the seven shadow caught fire, one after the other.

"Yukari-chan! Now!" Hamuko shouted.

"Right! Io!" Yukari put the evoker to her head and pulling the trigger, "Magaru!"

The next thing happened was like tornado made of fire dancing around the shadows, but not huge enough to graze Minato and killing the seven shadows instantly.

After the fire died down, some card appeared in front of Minato and Hamuko. Five of them, one with a sword, one with a cup, one with a coin, a plant on the fourth, and the last one had a picture of a blue woman. The four cards flipped over and shuffled.

Hamuko then picked the blue woman, Apsaras, while Minato shrugged and picked the plant one.

"Dum! Dudum! Dum! Junpei has level up!" Junpei made a victory pose.

"Phew, that was a close one." Yukari said, whipping sweat on her forehead.

"Yeah, one wrong move, Minato-san will caught on fire." Souji nodded.

"But I don't like it!" Hamuko puffed her cheek, "What if onii-chan get hurt like before!?"

"Well, at least it works right?" Minato grinned, "Come on guys." he then gesturing them to continued walking.

When they stepped into the hallway Minato suddenly shouted, "EVERYONE! DUCK!" the four of them immediately doing what their leader warned, except one person.

"Huh!? A duck!? Where!?" Junpei looking to his right and left, then suddenly, he being hit by a huge shadow from the front right on his head, knocking him out cold as it explode into five shadows after hitting Junpei's head.

"Junpei!"

"Damn! We're surrounded!" Minato cursed. Yukari and Souji had one each, but he and Hamuko was fending off three shadows. Grunting, they grabbed their own evoker, when Minato and Hamuko heard a voice.

_By summoning Orpheus or Eurydice and Apsaras together, you can use the fusion skill Cadenza._

Minato and Hamuko exchange look, "Should we try it?" he asked his sister.

Nodded, Hamuko answered, "Let's try it, I will switch my persona to Apsaras."

Pulled the trigger, and then they both suddenly felt calm. Hamuko and Mnato felt a huge surge of energy, and threw it into the air. No personas appeared, but they all heard a beautiful, invigorating melody. Suddenly, their wounds were mostly healed, but that wasn't all.

All of the shadows had slowed down.

No, that wasn't it.

They were faster.

They easily dodged the shadows attack. It looked like it was underwater. The five shadows that were such a threat all went down easily to their increased speed. After the shadows gone, Minato and Hamuko saw the cards again, this time Minato pick a small fairy persona called 'Pixie', and Hamuko picked the plant, then time went back to normal.

"Wh-What was that?" Yukari seemed shocked.

"_Arisato and Arisato-imouto somehow managed to cast Masukukaja; which can increase all of your speed and used a healing skill on you all, but I'm curious._**"** Mitsuru seemed really interested. **"**_Orpheus and Eurydice has neither of those skills. So how did you do it?"_

Hamuko looked at her brother. Seeing him nodded his head, she putting the evoker to her head, then muttered,"Apsaras."

The Hindu goddess appeared and strummed a short melody, covering part of the wall they was facing with Ice.

"B-but, I thought your Persona was Eurydice!" Yukari was the first to speak.

Hamuko then switched her persona, "Eurydice." and the ice melted to water as she playing her lyre.

"_This… This isn't possible…"_Mitsuru seemed amazed. _"No-one can have multiple persona, it makes no sense!"_

"Technically, I can only use one at a time, but I can switch between the ones I've got." Hamuko said happily.

"_Any others apart from those two?_"

"I only have two, but onii-chan also has more too." Hamuko looked at Minato.

"You too Minato-kun?" Yukari asked him, surprised.

Minato shrugged, then switched Orpheus to Pixie, he put the evoker to his temple muttered, "Pixie." And pulled the trigger. The small blue fairy appeared in front of him, and then disappeared as he dismissed her.

"But like Mitsuru-senpai said, how you can cast a Masukukaja and healing spell at once?" This time Souji who asked, he actually rather surprised because it's the first time he seen anything like that.

"Well… It was Cadenza, we can use it if we equipped Orpheus or Eurydice with Apsaras, then summons it at once, then we get the skill." Minato said, "It just kinda happened."

"… You guys are genius." Then he thought, "_That, or I am an idiot, not thinking that it can used like that on my previous journey, it will make thing easier."_

"Um… guys?" Hamuko called, "What about Junpei-kun? Is he alright?"

The group then gathered around Junpei to check his condition.

"Nothing serious, he just unconscious." Souji said after he examined Junpei, "I guess you guys don't have recarm skill?"

"What is Recarm?" Yukari asked.

"It's a skill that revive an ally who had been knocked down by foe." Answered Souji, "Any other idea to wake him up?"

"Can we just slap him in the face so that he woke up because of the pain?" Yukari suggested.

"We can't just have damaged his head more than that Yukari-san…" Minato deadpanned.

They all fell silent. Thinking how to make the clown of the group woke up. Souji gaze then landed on water at the floor because of Hamuko demonstration of changing persona. Then he got an Idea.

"I think I know how to wake him up!" Souji then explained a way to woke up their unconscious teammate. Then they all grinned.

"Okay then," Minato said as he put his evoker to his temple, "Ready Hamuko?"

"You got it onii-chan!" his sister answered happily as she too put her evoker to her temple, and then pulled the trigger, "Apsaras! Bufu!"

An Ice cube appeared at the top of Junpei, but before the ice fell and hit the teen, Minato pulled the trigger, calling forth Orpheus and cast fire spell to the ice. Making it melted into hot waters, and splashed to the poor unconscious Junpei's face.

"WH-WHA-! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOOOOT!" Junpei began waking up as his hand rubbed his face, "Man! What was that for!?"

"To make you come back to the land of living Junpei-kun~" Hamuko answered with innocent smile.

"But, why with me being splashed by hot water thought!?" Junpei questioning with angry glare.

"Well… It because none of us know Recarm skill, so we use Agi skill to melting an Ice cube that made by Bufu skill to make hot water…"

"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Junpei raised one of his eyebrow, "Bufu skill, as if ice spell right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Where you get that skill? If I recall, Souji said all of our status, but none of us have ice spell?"

Yukari and Souji looked at Minato and Hamuko, while the twins sighed then summoned Pixie and Apsaras.

"What the hell man?" said a surprised Junpei. "I thought your Persona was Orpheus and Eurydice!"

_"My thought exactly Iori…_" said Mitsuru,_ "__But this is incredible… A persona user who can wield multiple persona… I'll inform the chairman upon our return, but for now, continue exploration"_

A few moments after setting off again and a few 'not fair' words by Junpei, Mitsuru spoke again. _"That's odd. Usually, there are more Shadows on the prowl. ...Well, at least you gained some experience in battle. Let's go back to the dorm for today. There should be an Access Point somewhere on that floor. You can use it to return to the entrance." _

"So, there's no more shadows on this floor?" Minato asked.

"_Correct._**"**

"Cool. Alright guys," he turned to face Hamuko, Souji, Yukari and Junpei, "Let's split up and look for clues."

They split up and looked for clues. Souji found a steel briefcase full of money, and Yukari found a couple of medicines.

"Check it out guys!" Junpei shouted over the earpiece. "I think I found it!"

"Nice one Junpei." Minato said as they regroup with Junpei, near a strange green machine that has a similar appearance with the one at the lobby of Tartarus, but this one is smaller. "Let's go."

Junpei stood on it first, he then disappeared. **"**_It's alright_**."** Mitsuru stated. **"**_Iori just arrived down here._**"**

Yukari then step on it and disappear, followed by Hamuko, Souji, and the last is Minato.

* * *

(_Tartarus, Lobby_.)

"Welcome back." Mitsuru sounded weird now that they had gotten used to hearing her over the radio. "So, how was it?"

"Apart from the times where I almost died, no problems."

Mitsuru frowned. "Don't get discouraged. You completed your task, and that's something to be proud of."

"Oh, I wasn't whining," Minato replied. "I actually quite enjoyed it."

Mitsuru smiled. "Well, if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved."

Junpei looked psyched. "Man… I never knew I had that kind of power… but damn…" Junpei sat on the stairs. "I'm beat…"

Yukari sighed. "That's cuz you were bouncin' around like a little kid."

Junpei looked up. "You look pretty tired yourself Yuka-Tan."

Yukari looked thoughtful. "I'm still trying to catch my breath actually…"

Mitsuru folded her arms. "That's an effect of the dark hour; you'll become fatigued more easily."

Minato shrugged. "Don't worry, you'll adapt. Me and Hamuko barely notice it nowadays."

Mitsuru nodded. "But I'm surprised… You all did much better than I expected… You all displayed an alarming use of tactics and maturity, although Akihiko and I may have been forced to help you if it wasn't for you two ability, Arisato."

The twins nodded.

"Otherwise, I have no complaints." Mitsuru turned to our injured member. "At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time Akihiko."

He smiled. "Heh, we'll see about that."

With that, they return to the dorm.

* * *

**Author Note:**

**I apologize for the bad grammar, I am still learning it…**

**I know this chapter is short than the previous chapter…**

**It's because now I playing Freedom Wars and God Eater 2 rage burst!**

**Freedom Wars all of Code 8 missions is… honestly… is hell, compared to God Eater 2 rage burst missions!**

**And now for Persona 5, I will waiting patiently for it to come out this year, do you guys already watch Persona 5 trailer?**

**The main protagonist appearance is like Harry Potter I must say…**

**So… see you guys in the next chapter!**

**Please review, favorite and follow!**

81 | Page


	7. 6 Persona Fusion

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

*****_**sigh**_*** I don't have anything to say, so, let's start the story…**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Persona Fusion.**

_(The Next Day)_

Minato, Souji and Hamuko decided that they come to school together. The others are already leaving the dorm for their club activity, and Junpei left between them and the trio.

As they passed the school's gate, for some reason, the students they passed by began whispering with their fellow student while looking toward Minato, Souji and Hamuko direction.

However, this doesn't go unnoticed by Minato and Souji, while Hamuko still oblivious toward the whispering they got from the students.

Souji taking a look toward his surrounding, and accidentally, his gaze meet with some random female student, when their gaze meet, the girl quickly looked away with a red face and said something like '_He looked at me… he looked at me right?_' to her friend, which replied, '_Lucky you…_' or, '_Oh! I'm so jealous!_' And making Souji raised one eyebrow.

Minato also get the same reaction when he looked at some female students, and hear them say, '_Sadly, he is already taken…_' and followed by, '_Takeba-san is so lucky to have him…_'

While the majority of female students whispering to their friend with red face toward Minato and Souji, they get the opposite reaction from other male students, mostly glaring dagger toward both male persona user. And some other gazed longingly at Hamuko.

"Uhh… Souji-kun?" Minato was first to speak as he sneak a glance toward other students.

"Yes, Minato-san?" Souji answered, as he also doing the same.

"Why they whispering and looking toward us like that?"

"I'm also curious about that…"

Then a friendly looking student approaching them. "Hey, You three are the famous transfer students right?"

Souji, Minato and Hamuko cast him a questioning look at the mention of the word 'Famous'.

"Well… yeah we're the transfer student." Souji answered, "But, famous? What do you mean by that?"

The friendly looking student look surprised for a bit, looking at the trio, "You guys don't know?"

"Know about what?" questioned Minato.

Looking at Minato, the friendly student answered, "That you three has been the source of talks throughout the school for the last few days!"

The trio exchange glance. Then looked to the friendly student.

"Huh?" they replied dumbly.

The friendly student looked at them and then he sighed, "You three really don't know how popular you guys are around students body aren't you?"

"Us? Popular?" Minato wondered.

"What make them think about us like that?" Hamuko asked.

He looked toward her, "First of all, you guys are transfer students. You are Hamuko Arisato right?" seeing her nodded, the friendly looking student continued, "The reason why are you, Hamuko-chan popular is because you always so cheerful and bright. It makes you think she's the type of getting excited for something that is new to her. Plus, you look often smiling every day!"

He looked toward Souji, "And you are Souji Seta right?"

"Y-yes…" Souji answered.

"You popular because you also a transfer student, your personality, which is quiet, polite, and calm. And I hear some other girls in the school said that, uhm… don't take it the wrong way but, they say that you are hot and sexy."

"T-they said I-I'm WHAT!?" Souji for the first time on his life stuttered.

"And the last transfer student!" the friendly looking student looked toward Minato, pointing his finger at him, "Is Minato Arisato, right?"

Minato nodded.

"The entire female student body is talking about how cool, mysterious, and how smart are you!"

"…Just that?"

"Oh! There also rumors that you're dating the popular Yukari Takeba, which made the other female student jealous to no end!" He nodding his head while crossing his arms, "Man, you got skill."

…

"WHAT!?" Minato shrieked in surprised.

Ignoring Minato's surprised, the friendly looking student seemed remembered something, "Oh crap! Come on, we have the morning assembly!" he began walking away, then turned to them again with a thumbs up, "The name's Kenji Tomochika by the way, and we are classmates." With that he turned away and leaving the trio of transfer students.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Silence…

Hamuko is the first to speak, "Umm, shall we get going?"

* * *

(_Auditorium_)

"… That concludes the main portion of today's assembly. Next, we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new President. Mitsuru Kirijo, from Class 3-D."

Mitsuru then came onto the stage, "Thank you."

Yukari leaned forward, putting her head between Minato and Souji.

"So, she did get elected… Well I guess she IS the most popular girl in school."

Junpei, who listening to Yukari's words nodded. "You can say that again!" He smiled wistfully. "There's like some kind of aura around her…"

"Besides, her family owns the school, right?" Souji said.

"Yeah," Yukari confirmed. "I try not to think about it."

Mitsuru then began her speech, "As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and unprecedented level of commitment." Mitsuru paused, draw breath and then continued, "That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal… I'd like each of you dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions… To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That's is the key… I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future…" she paused again, then continued, "For us to reap the full benefits of our educations, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential… Thank you." With her speech ended, she stepped out the stage and getting the applause from the student bodies.

"Dang…" Junpei said afterwards, "That was freaking amazing…" he turned to Minato and Souji, "So… You guys have any idea what she just said?"

Souji pondered before answering, "Well… basically what she was telling us was to take a look at ourselves, change our lives to fit the needs of the school, and make the most of our selves. She mentioned achieving our own goals as if it was an afterthought." He looked to Minato, "What do you think Minato-san?"

"…"

"Minato-san?"

He still silent.

"Dude? Are you alright?" Junpei asked, and then shook Minato's shoulder.

"Wuh-wh-what?" Minato suddenly said. Looking around. Then yawned. "It's over already?"

"Dude… Don't tell me that you have been sleeping for the whole assembly!?" Junpei asked Minato, who smiled sheepishly.

"Well… that explain why you have been quiet…" Yukari sighed, and then turned to her left, only to sweat dropped as she saw Hamuko, who is also sleeping with her earphone on her ears.

"Dude, you both such a rebel…" Commented Junpei.

* * *

(_Afternoon – After School_)

Hamuko, Souji, Minato and Junpei decided to go home because they have nothing to do after school. They were walking down the yard when they saw Akihiko surrounded by a Horde of Fangirls.

"Have you noticed how popular Akihiko-san is with the ladies?" Junpe said "Man, take a look at that...I didn't use to talk to him much, but now I've got a good excuse. I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but..." he then sighed, dropping his shoulders, "Who woulda thought he'd be such a chick magnet!? I mean, come on! You don't even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they're going…"

Akihiko saw them and waved. "Hey, You guys free this afternoon?"

Junpei, who thought that they will be going out with Akihiko's fangirls, enthusiastically answered, "Hell yeah! Whatcha got in mind!?"

Akihiko waded through his fangirls. "I want the two of you to meet me at the police station at Paulownia mall." He said. "You know where it is right? I'll see you there."

Junpei almost fainted. "Wait, we're not hanging out with your friends?"

"Who, these girls?" Akihiko shook his head, sticking his thumb over his shoulder. "I don't even know their names… They talk so much they give me a headache…" Akihiko walked off. " Anyways, I'm gonna head out. … Don't keep me waiting."

"Aww… Akihiko-senpai!"

"Why can't you be more friendly?"

"But, that's what makes him so cool!"

Akihiko's fangirls gazed longingly at Akihiko's back.

"Man… How can he not know their names? I mean, seriously! Just look at them!" Junpei said after Akihiko out of their line of view, "Is Akihiko-senpai blind? Or just plain dumb? Those chicks were all over him! … Man… I'm so jealous…"

Souji want to say something to Junpei when he caught that Akihiko's fangirls looked toward the four of them. Or specifically, Souji and Minato.

"Hey, isn't that the rumored transfer student?"

"Yeah, wow the rumor was right. That one with blue hair is so cute!"

"I think I fallen for the silver haired one! He's so hot!" she then giggling, and added words that made Souji shuddered, "And… not to mention sexy too…"

It took all of Souji's willpower for not to breaking into cold sweat and running from his place now. Instead, he looked to Minato, Hamuko and Junpei, "He said Paulownia Mall right? Let's go."

* * *

(_Police Station - Paulownia Mall_)

"Thank you, sir." Is what Akihiko say to a policeman officer as the quartet entered the police station. He then turned to them, "Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier."

The officer just looking at them, not said anything.

"I was waiting for you guys. This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san…" He handed a wad of cash each to Junpei, Minato, Hamuko and Souji 5,000 yen.

"Really! Sweet!" Junpei accept the moneys enthusiastically.

"You can't fight empty handed. So find something you like." Akihiko told us. "Officer Kurosawa here has connections… But these things still cost money."

"Of course the do." Officer Kurosawa told them. "Nothing in life is free."

"I realise that." Akihiko replied. "Well, I'll see you guys later. Thanks again."

"I've been informed about you four." Officer Kurosawa told us after Akihiko left." My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances… I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right." He looked at each of them, "I don't have that much, you should be able to find what you need."

The quartet begin look for the weapon that they like and fit for the fight against shadows. After a while of searching, they finally found weapons that fit for their fighting style. Junpei pick up Kishido Blade, Minato picked up a short sword named Gladius, Souji picked Zanpakuto Sword and Hamuko pick Tsukushi Naginata.

"You guys can save the money for yourself. I will pay for you all." Souji said to them suddenly after they handed their choice of weapon to Officer Kurosawa.

This is surprised Hamuko, Minato, and Junpei.

"Are you sure Souji-kun?" Minato asked him.

"One hundred percent sure." Souji replied.

"Umm… Sou-chan? How much your money actually?"

"Around 1.000.000 yens… maybe?"

…

"Say what!?" a shocked Minato yelled out.

"Dude! Where you get that much of moneys!?" Junpei also shocked. "Don't tell me you're some sort of a rich guy in disguise!"

"Well, I get the money from my previous journey in the TV World…" Souji told him.

"But that's doesn't explain from where it came from!" Junpei exclaimed, then sighing "Let me guess… the shadows you defeated in the TV World is the one who dropped it?" he added sarcastically.

"Yes. You right." Souji answered with stoic face.

Junpei looking weirdly at Souji, and then laughing, "Dude! I'm just being sarcastic. No need to take it so serious."

"Umm… Junpei-kun? I think Sou-chan is serious." Hamuko said to Junpei.

Junpei stopped laughing. Then he looked at Souji's expression which like said 'I'm dead serious' expression. "Seriously?" he asked.

Souji nodded.

"But how..?"

The silver haired persona user shrugged, "I don't know for sure, but they're dropping it after the shadow vanished…"

Junpei opened his mouth to ask more questions, but closing it, opened again then closed it again for a few times, like a gaping fish. He then gave up.

"Anyways!" Hamuko suddenly said, " Sou-chan, are you sure you want to pay all of our stuff?"

"Huh? Yes, I'm sure." Souji replied her.

Hamuko then looked like deep in thought, and then she opened her mouth, "Then do you mind if I add one more weapon?"

Souji looked at her, "Sure… but what for?"

Hamuko not answered; instead she picked bow and arrows, then handed it to Officer Kurosawa, "It's for Yukari-chan!" she replied happily, "We don't want Yukari-chan to be the only one who not have new weapon right!?"

Souji nodded at her, "I suppose you right." He then turned to Officer Kurosawa, "So, how much all of this cost sir?"

Officer Kurosawa begin counting, "Let's see…Kishido Blade is 3.000 yen, Zanpakuto Sword is 3.500 yen, Tsukushi Naginata is 3.400, Gladius is also 3.400 yen, and Short Bow is 3.200 yen." He picked his calculator and tapping it with his finger, "The total is 16.500 yen."

Souji then pick up his wallet from his uniform pocket, opened it and grabbed 20.000 yen from it, then giving it to Officer Kurosawa.

After giving Souji change money, he say, "Is that all?" the four persona user nodded, "Then I will sent all of this to your place tonight."

"Thank you, sir."

With that, the quartet leave the Police Station, on the way out, something blue caught Minato and Hamuko attentions, unknown to them, Souji also seeing it. Junpei decided to going straight to the arcade to spend his money.

After Junpei out of the trio sight, Souji said to the Arisato sibling, "I will go straight to the dorm, what about you two?"

Looking at Hamuko, Minato answered, "We will hang out in here a little longer."

"Well then, see you guys later." With that said, Souji leaving the twins by themselves.

Minato and Hamuko exchange glance. Nodding to each other, they headed toward alleyway. In there stood a blue door.

"There it is." Minato said.

"Yeah." Hamuko reply, "The Velvet Room… Shall we going in, onii-chan?"

Minato picked a dark blue key from his pocket, "I think we should." He then walked toward in front of the blue door.

Looked at his brother's back, Hamuko shrugged and followed him to the front of the blue door as Minato use the key. And with that, the Arisato twins enter to the Velvet Room.

* * *

(_Velvet Room_)

"Ah, there you are." Igor said.

Minato and Hamuko took a seat opposite of him.

"Afternoon Igor, Elizabeth, Theodore." Minato greeted.

"Hello you three!" Hamuko greeted rather cheerfully while waving her right hands.

"Hello Master Minato, Miss Hamuko. And please call me Theo." Theodore greeted them back

"Hello again. Welcome back to the Velvet Room." Elizabeth had a slight smile as she said this.

"Well…" Igor began, "I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here."

"About time you tell us…" Minato muttered. Hamuko chuckled after hearing her brother.

Igor's smile grew. "Don't worry. This shall be worth the wait. It is my job to create new Personas."

Minato and Hamuko eyes widened, "Really?" they both said.

"Indeed," Igor replied, "But in order to do so, I must fuse your Persona cards together. In other words..."

"You will take multiple of our Persona and fuse them into one new one." Hamuko concluded.

Igor grinned. "Precisely."

Minato frowned, "Why would we do that?"

Igor smirked. "When a new Persona is created, it tends to be a higher level than the ones that were fused."

That shut them up. Igor continued, saying; "However, the However, Personas that are fused are lost forever." He waved a hand nonchalantly. "Since the process requires multiple Personas, you will be left with fewer than you had before..."

Igor smiled as they thought about this. "Which powers will you forsake in order to obtain new ones? It is up to you to decide…"

Igor continued, "Furthermore, depending on the Arcana, you may be able to create a stronger Persona if you have established a corresponding Social Link."

"_Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to make a Persona of the Fool Arcana…_" Minato quoted.

"Precisely." He answered. "If you were to fuse a Persona of the Fool Arcana, it would grow in strength because of your bond with your teammates."

Minato and Hamuko keep quiet, listened to Igor's explanation. "Persona is the power of your soul, which thrives on the bonds you have with others. Thus, it is only natural that Social Links affect the strength of your Personas." they nodded, and he continued. "If you have established a Social Link of the same Arcana as the Persona you wish to create..." Igor's smile turned wicked."...then that Persona will receive power from the Social Link and level up. The amount of power it will receive depends on the level of the Social Link. In some cases…your Persona may even surpass your own level." Igor chuckled. "Do you understand now how important Social Links are to Persona-users such as yourself?"

"What about the others? They can only hold one Persona." Asked Hamuko.

"Thus, my services would be useless to them. However, their bonds to others still affect their own Persona in other ways."

Minato nodded. "So does fused Persona only have increased strength?"

Igor grinned. "Not at all. A Persona created through fusion may inherit the skills possessed by its precursors. In other words…"

"It's possible to give a Persona skill that it could never learn on its own…"

"Indeed." Igor seemed to like how quick they was catching on. "The mechanism of skill inheritance is not completely understood... but there are three key points I'd like to share with you."

They nodded, and Igor explained. "First, the skills to be inherited change every time you select a Persona for fusion. Second, the chance of a skill being inherited depends on what the expected Persona is…" Igor paused. "...I can give you more details on this some other time. Lastly, the more skills the original Personas possess, the more skills the resulting Persona will inherit...Please remember this."

"Wow…" Hamuko muttered.

"We can get more Persona to fuse with be doing battles with the Shadows, right?" Minato asked.

"That is correct."

The Arisato twins then silent, still digesting the information from Igor.

After few second of silence. Minato raising his head, "One more thing…" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Are we were the only guests in the velvet room now, I mean… is there any other guest before the two of us?"

Igor grinned widely at Minato question, "More than the stars in your world."

"I see…" Minato nodded, "See you later then." He then turned to his sister, "Let's go back to the dorm."

"Okay! Later everyone!" Hamuko said to the three of them with her usual cheerful self and then the Arisato twin stepped out from The Velvet Room.

* * *

(_Evening - Dorm_)

"Welcome back. Perfect timing actually," Mitsuru greeted Minato and Hamuko once they returned to the dorm. "I'd like to speak with you a moment, regarding our exploration of Tartarus."

"So would I." Minato replied. "You go first, senpai."

"Very well. Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I'd like you to lead the team." Mitsuru told Minato.

"Really?

Mitsuru nodded. "You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other week. It's best to be prepared, or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation."

Nodding, Minato answered. "I agree. So, when do we go next?"

"That's up to you."

"Eh?"

Mitsuru smiled slightly. "Whenever you'd like to explore Tartarus, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone there. Also, since I'm sure there are other things you need to take care of," Mitsuru turned back to the book she was reading "you may go out at night if you need to."

Minato and Hamuko exchange glance, then grinned, "How about tonight?"

Mitsuru's head snapped back so fast, making the twins thought she might have gotten whiplash. "Tonight? B-but you just went yesterday!"

Minato nodded. "We have a theory about our power and besides…" he then grinned widely.. "…Don't we want to find out how high we can get?"

"You're insane…" Mitsuru turned back to her book. "Alright, but don't blame me if you guys unwell tomorrow."

"But first, we must waiting for our weapons to be delivered here."

_KNOCK KNOCK _

"I'm with officer Kurosawa, I delivered some packets for Souji Seta, Minato and Hamuko Arisato, Yukari Takeba and Junpei Iori!" shouted someone from behind the door.

"Speak of the devil." Said Hamuko.

Minato nodded, "Now, we ready."

* * *

(_Later at Tartarus_)

It was the Dark Hour, and they managed to reach the fourth floors and Minato and Hamuko acquired five new personas along the way there. As they stepped through the floor, they can hears Mitsuru voice, "_I detect 3 shadows in this floor area. They're not like the ones you've fought before."_

As the five of them ready to fight the shadows and was about to walked to the center area, they saw a same teleporter machine in the Tartarus entrance.

"_Hm? Excuse moi, but please could you have a look at that thing?_**"**

The group then walked toward it and checked it out.

"Looks like the teleporter machine, but this was bigger like in the entrance." Junpei said out loud, "Unlike those which we seen on the previous floor."

Souji then activated the machine, "Let's see if this is the same thing as those teleport machine on the previous floors." as soon as Souji stepped on it, he was teleported back to ground. Only now the ground teleporter was glowing.

And the panel was working.

Minato and Yukari appeared beside Souji then followed by Hamuko and Junpei, "It looks like we can teleport _up_ to certain floors once we reach them…" Mitsuru told them.

Yukari was surprised, thin breathed a sigh of relief as Junpei punched the air, Souji looked calm, while Minato and Hamuko was already gone, headed straight for the Velvet Room.

* * *

(_Inside the Velvet Room_)

"Welcome. I wasn't expecting you two so soon."

"We neither." Hamuko told Igor. Then they held out their hand and, willing for their existence, six cards appeared.

"What can we get for these?" Minato asked Igor, handing him four of the six cards.

"Oh? You aren't interested in fusing Orpheus or Apsaras?"

Minato shook his head. "Together they can use the Cadenza. I want to hold on to that for as long as I can."

"A wise decision." Igor looked at the cards. "If you were to fuse Omoikane and Alp, you would be able to create the level 10 Jack Frost."

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I- I really like that Persona…" She seemed excited. "I'll give you a rare armour if you can create one with the skill Dia."

"Is that possible?"

Igor grinned. "Indeed. Any other skills you would like your Jack Frost to learn?"

"Zio. Dia and Zio."

Igor's grin grew as he arranged the cards. "Very well." He raised his cards into the air and the cards rose, fusing in a bright light. Then something appeared.

"I'm Jack Frost! Nice to meetcha! Hee Ho!"

"Nice to meet you too." Minato replied as it vanished, and a card bearing its image appeared on the table.

"Ohh! He's so cute!" Hamuko cooed, "I want him too!" she then gives her card too to Igor. Then he fused the card together, making another Jack Frost appear.

Minato then asked Elizabeth "Is this alright?"

"Wonderful…" She answered. "Here is your reward." She gave him a small box. Opening it, he found, "… what the hell is this?"

Hamuko also looked inside the box, then with a horrified expression she yelled, "There's no way I will wearing that!"

"This is the high cut armor. I believe that there is a Men's version of it somewhere within the tower."

What Minato held right now is a red battle suit for girl, only it's exposing more skin for the one who's wearing it.

* * *

(_Later_)

"No way. Uh-uh. Not a chance."

"Yuka-tan, we've got three huge enemies at once that we have to fight, and this is the best armour we have!" Junpei told Yukari, as he holding the high cut armor in his hand while his face looks like an old pervert.

Yukari turned to Minato, "Why the hell were you even carrying that around anyways?"

"I told you, I literally got it a few seconds ago." Minato replied defensively

"And how do you explain that?" Yukari replied back.

And so, the argument continued. Minato was eventually leave it to Junpei and go talk to Mitsuru. "So, what's your take on the situation, senpai?"

"Strategically, you are correct, but I can understand Takeba's perspective as well."

Minato sighed. "So tell me about these shadows then."

"They are called Venus Eagle. They are of the Empress Arcana and are weak against Ice."

Fortunately for Minato and Hamuko, they're just got Jack Frost who's based on ice element, checking that Yukari and Junpei were still arguing about the armor, Minato turned to Souji and Hamuko, "Let's just get this over with our new personas." With that, he hit the floor 5.

* * *

(_After a while_)

When Minato, Souji and Hamuko got back, Yukari and Junpei were still at it.

"You two still argued about that?" asked Minato.

That got their attention. "While you were all arguing, we just killed those three shadows by ourselves."

That did shock people. Mitsuru explained, "The two Arisatos summoned a new Persona and cast Mabufu spell repeatedly, bringing the three shadows to the ground. Seta then decapitated them, finishing them off."

After that, they continuing their exploration, they managed to make it to the 7th floor before ran out of time, Actually, they're all wrecked. No surprise, since they go through that two nights in a row, one night being their first time, and the second night doing seven times as much.

* * *

**Author Note:**

**I apologize again for the long update.**

**It's because I write another new fic, the title is "VOCA-LOID: World End With You"**

**It's a Vocaloid's fic with Psyren crossover, and Kaito Shion as the star.**

**I already writing it until 4 chapters then stopped to continuing this fic.**

**But don't worry! Even if it takes ten years to finish this fic, I will do it.**

**And I got my hands on Toukiden Kiwami and Sword Art Online: Lost song for my vita! **

**So… give me what your thought about this fic**

**Please review, favorite and follow. Oh! And I also accept critics and advice!**

**See you guys in the next chapter!**


	8. 7 Meeting new faces

**I'm sorry for being absent from updating this storry for a few month.**

**It just because I really got sick easily.**

**To Guest: Yes, Souji power as a wild card is being sealed by Philemon in order to bring out his true initial Persona, which is Izanagi to get more powerful. And his wild card power will be unsealed. But that will not happen in the near future. Maybe just when the Persona 3 story arc nearly at end thought. So, who know.**

**Let's continue reading shall we.**

**Like always, Persona series is not mine.**

**Chapter 7: ****Meeting new faces**

* * *

(_Next Day_)

We found that our three protagonists are walking to school together while chatting, again. It's like it become some sort of habit. When the trio nears the school gate, they overhear a conversation from a two gossiping female student.

"Is it just me, or have there been more weird people around lately?"

"You're talking about Apathy Syndrome, right? My neighbor has that… He grosses me out."

"Sometimes I think I might have it too, and it depresses me."

"Maybe you're just need some exercise."

"Talk about exercise, the athletic teams are accepting new members. Maybe I should join!"

With that, the two female students walked away as the bell rang, signaling that the school is began.

* * *

(_Later – After School_)

"I'm decided." Souji suddenly said.

Minato and Hamuko looked at him in confusion, "Deciding about what, Sou-chan?" Hamuko ask Souji.

Souji looked at the twins then smiled, "I decide that I'm going to join Kendo Club!"

"What a coincidence." Minato said, "I also thinking that I should join Kendo club to train myself."

Minato and Souji turned to look at the auburn haired Arisato, "Then what about you, Hamuko-san? Are you gonna join a club?" Souji ask her.

Hamuko adopted a thinking pose, "Well, actually I have one in mind…" she told them,"Girl's only Tennis club."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Minato said as he rise from his seat and walked toward the classroom door, "Come on!"

"Wait for me, onii-chan!" Hamuko shouted as she also rose from her seat and run toward her brother, "Let's go, Sou-chan!" she said happily.

Souji nodded to her, "Right." He then begin rose from his own seat and followed the Arisato twin.

* * *

(_Later_)

When the three of them arrived in front of the gymnasium, Minato and Souji part way with Hamuko as she went to the field to join the Girl's Tennis Club.

As Hamuko running out from the hallway, Minato and Souji nodded at each other and opened the door to gymnasium, meet with the coach of the kendo club and talk to him about joining the club. The coach then blow his whistle to gain the attention of the club members, told them to gather.

"Alright guys, this is Minato Arisato and Souji Seta." The coach introduced them to the club members, "They'll be joining the team." He then turned toward a girl wearing Gekkoukan P.E. uniform; she has short light black hair tied into a short ponytail, and wears a red clip on her left side. She has brown eyes. Her skin is light brown complexion, "This is Yuko, our manager."

Yuko started walking to in front both of them, "Hello, I'm Yuko Nishiwaki. Nice to meet you." She introduced herself, "You two are the famous transfer student (Hearing that, Minato and Souji only groaned), right? Since we're the same year, you can just call me Yuko."

The coach then turned to another person, "…Hey! Kazushi!" he called.

"Yessir!" the person who called Kazushi replied. He has short, spiky black hair and darkish graying brown eyes. He's wearing standard Kendo outfits.

The coachturned back to Minato and Souji, "This is the future captain of this team. He's a great swordsman and scores well in competitions." He then looked at Kazushi, "You three are in the same class, right? Kazushi, keep an eye on the new guys here, okay?"

"You got it, sir!" Kazushi replied, and then turned to look at Minato and Souji, "I'm Kazushi Miyamoto, you two seen me around right?"

"Yeah." Answered Minato, while Souji just nodded his head, "We're in the same class"

Kazushi smiled, "Then, long story short; from now on, you two are mine after school." He then turned serious, "Just because you guys joined mid-season, don't think I'll go easy on you!"

"Since today is your first practice, just have a look around and then call it a day." Yuko told them, "I'll make sure your uniforms are ready for next time."

With that said, Souji and Minato just watch the members of the kendo club continued their training until the session is over.

* * *

(_With Hamuko - Field_)

"So, you all have a new teammate." Said Ms. Kanou, "She's Hamuko Arisato from class 2-F. Everybody be nice to her, okay?" she told the memmber of the Girls only Tennis Club.

"Nice to meet you all!" Hamuko greeted with her usual cheerfull attitude.

"Nice to meet you too!" the club member answered, the club seem's to have a rather friendly atmosphere, making Hamuko feeling welcomed there.

Ms. Kanou then looking toward each person on the member, "Um, who was the leader for the junior?"

"That would be me." A keen-looking female member who has long black hair tied in a ponytail, gray eyes, pale skin and uses light pink lip stick, answered while stepping forward.

"Oh, good. I'll leave the rest to you." said Ms. Kanou to her, "I don't really know what i'm supposed to do here anyway." She say as she walking out from the field while giggling to herself.

"...All right." She answered, watching Ms. Kanou's figure left.

After Ms. Kanou out from view, the member begin talking to the others about Ms. Kanou.

"'I don't really know anything! Tee-Hee'" said a short haired member imitating Ms. Kanou.

"Haaaa! That sounds exactly like her." Said a tanned member, "She's too old to try to act cute like that."

The keen-looking female member with black hair then turned to the other, "...C'mon, let's get back to practice!" she then look toward Hamuko, "You're Hamuko-san, right? I'm Rio Iwasaki, a junior like you." Rio introduced herself to Hamuko, "I'm in charge of the juniors in the club, so don't hestitate to ask me anything." She then proceed to explained that the club meets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, "We don't meet for for a few days before exams, so keep that in minds."

Hamuko nodded, "I'll do my best!"

Rio smiled at Hamuko enthusiasm, "Well then, we're gonna concentrate on doing basic exercises today, so come on and join in."

After running laps, Hamuko went through a series of muscle exercise. She then diligently went through basic drills in serving and using different strokes. After the practice was over, Hamuko decided to go back to the dorm.

* * *

(_Evening – outside the school's gate_)

Hamuko caught up with Minato and Souji when she exit the school ground and saw the two persona user walked out slowly from outside of the school's gate.

"Onii-chan! Sou-chan! Wait up!" she called them, making Minato and Souji turned back their head.

"Huh? I thought you already left the school?" Minato asked his twin sister.

"No, after join the Tennis Club, I thought I will be told to just sit and watch the other club's member practice on the first day, but Rio-chan, I mean the one who in charge with the club, immediately told the member of the club including me to running a few lap and doing other training exercise before went to the basic of tennis!" Hamuko told them excitedly, "What about you two?"

"Well, we just told by the coach to watch the other members practice until our Kendo uniform ready in the next club meeting." Souji told her.

"Humm..." Hamuko hummed, "Isn't that just plain boring, just watching the other member practice?"

"But, at least we have a chat with Kazushi, the captain of Kendo's club, and Yuko, the manager, about swordmanship technique and other thing about the club, so, it's not boring." Minato answered, then noticed that his twin sister is looked rather tired, "Are you okay, Hamuko? You seems tired."

Hamuko looked at his twin brother, "Now that you said it, onii-chan. I do feel tired after that much practice..."

"Then we should head back to the dorm, you shall get some rest Hamuko-san, there's no point to exhaust yourshelf except if you want to get sick of course." Souji told her

"Yeah, I'm can't wait to take a looong shower and then going straight to the bed after that..." said Hamuko as she begin to walk ahead, "C'mon you two!"

* * *

(_Evening – Dorm_)

As Minato, Hamuko and Souji entered the dorm's entrance, they greeted by Yukari, who was playing with her cellphone and closed it after the trio enter the entrance, "Oh, that's remind me. Have you three joined any clubs yet?"

"Yep!" answered hamuko, her tiredness is gone, replaced with her usual self, "While onii-chan and Sou-chan joined kendo club, I join with tennis club!"

"Oh, yeah? That's cool." said Yukari with smile, "I'm not surprised, because you guys seems pretty talented. Unlike someone I knows..." Then she glance at a certain student wearing baseball cap who eating a cup of instant ramen.

Junpei who eavesdropping at them feeling slightly offended, "Hey! I'm part of a club too, you know."

"Huh?! You're part of club?" Yukari asked, surprised and slightly impressed, "Who know that you of all people joined any club, Junpei. I'm impressed." She praised him, "So, which club are you in?"

"The After School Go Home club of course!"

"...I should have know that you're still the same old Stupei..." Yukari muttered while the other sweatdropped.

* * *

(_A week later_ )

In one week, the group of persona user made a lot of progress in Tartarus. Couple of nights ago they reached floor 10 and killed the Dancing Hands, the three guardian shadows. In those week, they also meet with an old couple whose name is Bunkichi and Mitsuko who run a book shop. Minato found a girl that he meet on a game MMORPG Junpei gave him. They also getting along with Kenji and their friends from kendo and tennis club. Minato and Souji found out that Kazushi fancies Yuko, their kendo club manager. Also when Hamuko introduced Rio to her twin brother, Souji and Kenji, they surprised that Kenji and Rio is a childhood friend, and also it seems that Rio have a feeling for Kenji, while he oblivious to her feeling because of how dense Kenji is.

Anyways, Minato, Hamuko, Souji and Junpei having a conversation when Junpei remembered something, "FYI, Akihiko-san's at the hospital getting a checkup." He told them, "He called me earlier, and asked me to bring him something." Junpei then grinning like an idiot, "Yup, he knows who to count on."

Yukari then joined the conversation, "He only asked you cuz you don't have anything else to do after school."

"H-Hey, I resent that."

Yukari just giggling, "*_giggle_* I'm just kidding." She said with a smile, "So what'd he want you to bring?"

"The class roster for 2-E." Junpei answered.

"Huh? What he want that for?" Yukari asked, "...Well, I don't have practice today, so I'll go with you." She then turned to the other, "You three coming too, right?"

"I also don't have club meeting either, so I'm going too!" said Hamuko cheerfully, "Onii-chan, Sou-chan, what about you two?"

"We also don't have practice today, so we will coming along." Souji said.

"He-Hey! Wait a minute..." Junpei protested. "He asked ME, You know."

"If it's important, we should all go together, right?"

Seeing that Junpei couldn't argued back, he finally submitted.

* * *

(_Hospital_)

When they got to the room Akihiko was supposed to be in, he wasn't there. Instead there's a tall person they don't recognize. He has unkempt brown hair, worn perpetually under a beanie, and steel-colored eyes. His clothing is relatively simple, consisting mainly of a maroon pea-coat, black pants, and brown Chelsea shoes.

Just to make sure that they're not enter the wrong room, Souji ask politely, "Excuse me, is Akihiko-senpai here?"

"..." instead of answering, the unknown guy just glaring at all of them.

"What are all of you guys doing here?" said a familliar voice, making the five persona users turn back their head. Stood behind them was Akihiko who seemed fine.

"We came to see you!" Yukari answered. "But… it doesn't look like anything's wrong with you…"

Akihiko shook his head. "Nah, I'm just here for a checkup."

The unknown guy then stood up. "Is that it, Aki?"

"Yeah," Akihiko responded. "Thanks."

"Tch," he began to leave. "I don't have time for this shit…"

Junpei practically jumped out of his way. As the unknown guy about to leave the room, he stopped and then looked at Souji, "You..." he started.

As Souji eyes met with his, Souji's eyes changing color to gold as if its react to something, then a sudden information about the unknown guy rushed toward Souji's mind.

Name, Shinjiro Aragaki. Persona, Castor of the Hierophant Arcana. No weaknesses. Skills are Regenerate 1, Fatal End and Counter.

But what caught Souji attention is his Persona, Castor. He feel that Shinjiro's persona is not acting like the other persona user he meet before, to put it simply, it uncontrolable. Like it was rebelled against Shinjiro or something like that. Just feel that Shinjiro's persona behaving like that is making Souji's head hurts.

"What the hell are you supposed to be...?" Shinjiro asked Souji, probably referring to Souji's eyes. If Shinjiro surprised, he hid it well after seeing Souji's eyes change color to golden.

"Just a passing through Persona User." Souji answered. Keeping his expression remain blank.

"Is that so..." both of them stare at each other for a moment before Shinjiro looking away, "Like I care..." with that he leave the room.

"W-What was that about?" Asked a slightly freaked out Junpei.

Souji ignored him then looked at Akihiko. "Akihiko-senpai, how close are you to Shinjiro-san?" He seemed a little surprised at his question. Or maybe it was because Souji knew Shinjiro's name.

"We're childhood friend, why?" Akihiko answered.

Souji nodded at his answer, "Please keep a close eye on him, his persona is rather... behaving strangely, and is in not a good one..."

Akihiko closed his eyes, seemingly in deep thought at what Souji had just told him. When he finally opened them he nodded at him in thanks.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"W-Wait a minute!" Intervened Junpei. "If this guy's a Persona-User, why isn't he part of S.E.E.S?"

"It's... complicated." Answered Akihiko, "By the way Junpei, did you bring what I asked?"

"Oh yeah. Here." Junpei handed the class roster to Akihiko.

"Well then, let's get going." Akihiko announced, before punching the air with his 'injured' arm, several times.

"Uh, you shouldn't move your arm..." Said Junpei, after seeing Akihiko's little display.

"It's nothing. I've wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training."

"By the way, Senpai, why boxing?" Asked Yukari out of the blue.

"You mean, why did I choose that sport? Well... It's not the sport itself I like, I just wanted to learn how to fight. I know what it's like to feel powerless... And I don't want to feel that way again..."

Souji could totally relate to that feeling. Silently, he vowed to himself that to get strong enought to protect people that precious to him so that the same incident like Izanami killed his friends and lover not happening again this time.

"Besides. I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself." Akihiko continued while he clenching his fist.

"That's an interesting way of looking at it." Hamuko said.

But out of context Junpei said... "You know, I like to play games too."

"Yeah," Yukari replied with scorn. "VIDEO games…"

"H-hey, they're good for hand eye co-ordination…" Junpei's rebuttal was weak.

* * *

(_Next Day - Dorm_)

Back at the dorm, everyone was discussing their plans for Golden Week. Junpei wanted to hang out with some friends, but he was complaining that he couldn't get any girls to go with him. Mitsuru brought him down to earth by reminding them that they had midterm exams in a couple of weeks. That inadvertently brought Minato, Hamuko and Yukari down as well but not for Souji because he sure he will have a good score, so Minato suggested that they revised instead of going to Tartarus for a while. they all agreed, and went to their separate rooms.

* * *

(_Souji's Room – Dark Hour_)

"Hi, how have you been?"

Souji then fully awake, sat up from his bed. It was the mysterious boy again, "Fine thanks, you?"

The mysterious boy chuckled, "The same But I've come to warn you."

Souji sighed. "No chance of simple conversation then?"

The boy laughed, but was suddenly serious. "One week from now, there will be a full moon… Be careful; a new ordeal awaits you three…"

"Full moon huh?" Souji asked. "What kind of Ordeal?"

The boy nodded. "On such days, you will face your greatest challenges. You will encounter one of THEM."

"Them, huh? That doesn't really help mu-" Souji stopped, his brain catching what the warning means, "That night… When the dorm being attacked and Minato-san summoned Thanatos…"

"Yes… That night was also a full moon…" The boy looked grim. "And you faced one of THEM, the weakest one in fact…You must prepare for this ordeal…" The boy warned, "But time is of the essence."

"It doesn't wait, does it?"

The boy smiled. "No it doesn't. It delivers us all unto the same end…"

"Are you already warned Minato-san and Hamuko-san as well about this?"

The mysterious boy smiled, "I already told the brother one about the warning, but..."

"But?"

"Meeting with the sister one is rather... scarry." For the second time, Souji saw the mysterious boy sweating bullet.

(_Flashback_)

"_I said I'm sorry!" cried out the mysterious boy while dodging a round object which is a tennis ball that flying past him from his side._

"_And I said get out from my room! You perverted ghost!" Hamuko yelled as she throwing another tennis ball to the boy._

_He dodged it, "I'm not a ghost! And like I said, I'm really sorry for what happened last time!" _

"_I don't care even if you're a ghost or not but you already saw me naked!" Hamuko then picked up her __tennis racket__,__ "Even go far as touching my underwear!" With that Hamuko swinging her tennis racket wildly to the mysterious boy, "THAT'S SEXUAL HARASSMENT!"_

"_It's! Just! A! Misunderstanding!" the boy managed to say in each dodge of swinging racket, "I did it unintentionally!"_

"_You're just making it worse!" Hamuko then lifting her racket higher, intending for making a vertical attack toward the boy._

_Seeing that he has been cornered into a wall, the mysterious boy quickly closed his eyes and raised his left hand to catch the racket that Hamuko swing. Unfortunately, or fortunately for the boy, because of difference in height between the boy and Hamuko, the mysterious boy's left hand didn't catch the upcoming racket, but..._

_*boink*_

"_Ahn~"_

"_Huh?" the boy can feel something round and soft on his left hand, 'What is this?' he thought as he begin squeez his left hant softly, then he heard it again._

"_Ahhhnn~"_

_Wondering about what just happened, the mysterious boy opened his eyes slowly._

_Stood frozen in front of him was Hamuko who stopped her own attack while her face is red for some reason, then he looked at what he has been squeezing in his left hand right now. Then the boy's face turning red immediately because he know what his left hand has been squeezing and where's the moaning sound coming from._

_His left hand is on Hamuko's breast. Yes, you read it right, his left hand is tottaly GROPPING our female protagonist's BREAST._

"_Wh-wha-wha-WHAT?!" the boy stuttered out as he release his hand from Hamuko's breast, "I-I-I-I'M SORRY!" he apologized then began kneeling on front of the unmoving figure of Hamuko._

_For a moment, they stay like that, plus an awkward silence enveloping the room._

"_...able..."_

"_Huh?" the boy looked up from his kneeling position. _

"_...Unforgivable..." Hamuko muttered while her body trembling and her eyes began watering, "...Now I can't get married now..." she glared down to the mysterious boy, who began paled immediately and sweating heavily. _

_And then, the mysterious boy learned that the death itself is nothing compared to the wrath of an angry teenage girl..._

(_Flashback End_)

"Um, are you okay?"

Souji's voice snapped the mysterious boy's mind back from that horror moment.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. I just remember something unpleasant, that's all..." Then the boy walked towards the door. "Anyways, I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now."

He walked through the door without opening it. Souji sighed and held his head in his hands.

"Stronger than the magician, huh?"

* * *

(_Next Day_)

Next day Minato and Hamuko paid a visit to Igor and Elizabeth. They fused some of their Persona and spent the day getting ready. When they got back to the dorm last night, Minato simply said. "Change of plan. We're going to Tartarus."

That night, they reached a barrier blocking the stairs, but they reached the highest they could go. Souji didn't bother telling the others about what was coming, they wouldn't believe him, he also have a feeling that the Arisato twins is know what will happened. Best Souji could do was to become crazy prepared.

They re-entered the tower on Tuesday, simply for more training. They had actually spent over ten minutes on a single floor just killing shadows when Mitsuru said, "_What is this feeling... I sense that there is a powerfull presence appear inside there... its like no ordinary shadow..._"

At first they were confused. What was she talking about?

Then Souji also sense it. The ominous feeling when he and his friend feels in the dungeon inside the tv world. When they hesitate to open a treasure box. When how he in his friend running for their life from the most powerful enemy when '_it'_ always appear. And now he feeling '_it'_ approaching them, fast.

"EVERYONE! GET OUT OF HERE!" Souji yelled to the other.

"Wha!? Souji-kun?"

"THIS IS DANGEROUS! WE MUST GET OUT FROM HERE!"

Minato, seeing that Souji sounding serious and also scared at the same time, he realized one thing. They're in a grave danger.

"Let's get ou-" before Minato could finish, all of them hear it.

Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.

The sound of slithering chains slowly approaching… but the sound was nothing compared to how the air felt. It was… crushing… choking… they had to get out of there or they would DIE.

That's when they saw it. Floating there, wields two long-barrel revolvers. its face is shrouded in a cloth sack, with only one ominous white eye to see its surroundings. It wears two long chains across its left and right shoulders, forming a cross. One thing was clear.

They couldn't fight it. It would kill them instantly.

"RUNN!"

They bolted, dodging the screams of darkness flying past them, shot out like bullets from its guns. Minato reached into his pocket and pulled out a Magic Mirror. As the barrier flew up, he thinks that it would be able to hold it for a little while.

Instead, 'it' lifted gun to the sky and a globe of black and gold energy amazed at the muzzle.

"_That's a Megidolaon__! An Almighty spell__. The mirrors are useless!__" shout Souji as they run._

They dodged out of the way just as the blast obliterated everything where they just stood. But fortunately, they reached the warp station in time and teleported to the entrance.

* * *

(_Tartarus - Entrance_)

When they all got down, they were all covered in sweat. Yukari and Hamuko seemed close to tears, and Junpei may have peed a little. Either way, they were all terrified.

"Just... what the hell... is that...?" Junpei asked between panting.

"I-I also don't know..." Mitsuru said, completely shocked, "It also managed to cast a Megidolaon spell... it was indeed powerfull."

"You also don't know what was that thing, senpai?" Minato ask.

"Yes." Mitsuru replied, "We never seen anything like that. Actually, its the first time I seeing whatever that thing was. But, judging from his reaction when 'it' approached you all, it seems Seta is know whatever that thing is."

The group of persona user is looked at the silver haired persona user.

"Souji-kun... just what is that thing?" asked Minato to him, "Your reaction when 'it' aproaching us, you sounding so scared."

Souji looking at them, then sighing, "...That is the most powerful shadow, it is beyond our league, if we stay to fight it, we will be instantly obliterated." He answered, "We, what I mean with '_we'_ now is referred to me and my friends. Because of it presence is like personification of death itself. We call that thing ' _The Reaper'_."

* * *

**Author Note:**

**Again, ****I apologize again for the long update****, grammatical error, and ****mistyping****.**

**While I'm writing this chapter, I suddenly got sick.**

**But don't worry, I already recovered enough... probably.**

**On the other hand, I buy a New Nintendo 3DS and play Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth right now.**

**...Hey, I got a question, which is not related to this story, but I have been wondering it for a while.**

**What difference between Beam Saber and Light Saber?**

**Sorry if it seems so random question coming from me.**

**You can ignored it if you want, but if you answered for me, I'll be gratefull to you.**

**That aside, ****give me what your thought about this fic****.**

**I will answered it truthfully and with honest answer from me.**

**Please review, favorite and follow. Oh! And I also accept critics and advice!**

**See you guys in the next chapter!**


	9. 8 The Priestess Shadow

**Hello everyone! **

**How are you? **

**I hope you guys fine, while I'm having a little health problem here... **

**Scratch that... **

**I actually have been really sick this week, not that I complain thought.**

**For some reason, I'm getting used to it.**

**Put that depressing matter aside,**

**To ****TsukiNoMe****: Hello to you too! Glad that there's fellow countrymen reading this fic :D**

**To ****Rosalinda Lancaster Leonhart****: I'll admit that I'm a Kamen Rider fans. Especially Decade, 000 and Wizard. That's why I making Souji to steal- err, I mean borrowing Kamen Rider Decade's famous quote '**_**Just a passing through Kamen Rider.**_**' Because I coincidentally write it after rewatching few episode of Kamen Rider Decade, which I find it an amusing or, I can said it '**_**cool'**_** answer for Souji to Shinjiro XD**

**Now, Let's Count up your Sins- Wait! I mean back to the story! **

***sigh* what's with me and Kamen Rider Double's Quote just now...?**

**Anyway, please continue reading :D**

* * *

_Chapter 8: The Priestess Shadow_

(_Dark Hour – Dormitory's Command Room_)

Mitsuru sighed while she working at the support terminal by herself.

"You're still at it?"

Mitsuru looked toward the door, which have been opened by none other than Akihiko, as he himself walked toward her and sit on the nearest chair.

"Yeah..." Mitsuru answered him, "You never know when the enemy might appear."

"But, I thought you couldn't scan outside of Tartarus?" The gray haired teen ask her.

"To be honest, I lack the power..." Mitsuru's shoulders dropped down while answering Akihiko's question, "Maybe this is the best Penthesilea can do in terms of data gathering." she then recovered quickly, "Although, the power of Persona seems to be much broader than I thought. We've even got two persons who can switch Personas in the middle of battle, not forgetting that we also have someone who used to be a leader of a group persona users beside us, and he also capable summoning his persona without an Evoker."

Akihiko just shrug, "I have to admit, I was surprised too. But, after hearing Souji's stories about Persona and Shadows, I bet anything could surprise me anymore. Even with the Reaper lurking around inside of Tartarus." Akihiko looked at her, "In the end, it's up to them whether or not they can reach their full potential."

Mitsuru just nodding at him, when suddenly the device that she has been working on, suddenly let out static sound that gained her and Akihiko's attention.

"Huh... ?" Mtsuru looked at the support terminal then let out a gasp, "It's a Shadows!"

"What!?" Akihiko looked shocked, beside him said that nothing could surprised him anymore, "You actually found one!?"

"Wait, something's not right." Said Mitsuru while frowning, "The reading is to big. We've never encountered anything like-"

"You mean, it's one of those!?" Akihiko cut in, "Like the one who attacked the dorm one month ago!?"

"...It must be." Answered Mitsuru.

"Well then, this is gonna be fun. We should wake up the others."

"...Indeed." said Mitsuru as she proceeded to press the alarms button.

* * *

(_Souji's Room_)

It was the day that the mysterious boy had warned Souji and the Arisato twins. The full moon. Souji decided to keep his mouth shut, since no-one else except maybe Minato and Hamuko, seemed to know. If the boy was right, then they will find out soon enough anyway.

As long as it wasn't as strong as the Reaper, they were ready, '_H__opefully_.' He added inside of his mind.

Souji didn't bother going to bed that night. he spent a few hours in his room doing stretches and getting prepared. he was actually meditating, meditating for crying out loud when the alarm rang. Souji burst out of the door, fully dressed and saw Junpei bolt out of his room in pyjamas. He reached the stairs before Souji did. Souji couldn't help it, Junpei looks so… weird without his hat.

Before Souji could run to the stairs, the door beside his room opened, and Minato came out, also fully dressed, he looked at Souji, "Judging from how prepared you are, thats mean you also told by that mysterious boy, Souji-kun? About the ordeal?"

Souji nodded, "Yes, I believe that you and Hamuko-san have been told the same thing about tonight."

"Yeah, but when I asked about that to Hamuko, for some unknown reason, she seems angry and muttered '_that perverted ghost_' and '_I can't get married_'. I don't know why she said that thought..." Minato said while they walk toward the stairs, "For now, lets just focus on with the ordeal tonight."

"Right."

With that, the two of them rushed toward the command room.

* * *

(_Dark Hour – Command Room_)

When both of them got there, Yukari was already there in her pyjamas. She looked surprisingly good for someone who's just woken up and sprinted up the stairs, surprisingly, Hamuko also in there, looked fully prepared. Its seem she took the mysterious boy warning seriously, and Junpei had just rushed in.

"Where is it!?" Junpei asked. "I'll rip it a new one!"

Mitsuru seemed surprised that Souji, Minato and Hamuko was actually already geared up for battle, but ignored it. "We've detected a shadow outside of Tartarus. We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one." Minato, Souji and Hamuko glance at each other, the mysterious boy was right. "We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible. Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists. But, if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all cost"

Junpei laughed darkly. "So in other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well count me in!"

Yukari sighed, Akihiko stepped forward. "I'm going too."

Mitsuru was mortified "You're not going anywhere in that condition. You wait here for the Chairman."

"Wha-!?" Akihiko looked shocked; as if he wasn't expecting this "I'm going!"

"She's right Akihiko Senpai," Junpei pointed out, "You're still recovering from the last fight."

Akihiko growled, but Mitsuru continued. "In your current state, you'd be more of a hindrance than a help. Have faith in them Akihiko," She looked at them, "They're ready."

"Tch…" Akihiko sat down at the chair. "Fine…"

"You'll get your chance," Mitsuru told him, "But for now-"

"Wait for the chairman," Akihiko moaned, "I got it."

Junpei slapped his chest with pride. "Relax, I got it covered."

Akihiko looked up from the console, comparing us. "Guess I've got no choice then… Minato is in charge."

Junpei groaned. "Him again..?"

Mitsuru looked at Minato. "We're counting on you."

I nodded, and Junpei turned to leave. "Heh. Looks like you're stuck playing leader again…" Junpei walked off. "Suck's to be you."

Yukari turned to the remaining persons. "I'll go get dressed too. See you downstairs."

"So," Mitsuru asked Minato and the other two, "How did you three know that this was coming?"

Minato, Souji and Hamuko turned around, deciding that the truth wasn't the correct answer. Souji quickly think for answer and found one, "Apathy syndrome's been on the rise lately. Since loads of victims died after we, I mean Thanatos killed the last one, and Shadow's cause Apathy Syndrome…"

She seemed to buy that.

* * *

(_Ten Minutes Later – New City passenger train 'Anehazuru', Iwatodai Station_)

The five persona user waiting for Mitsuru to come.

"Where is she?" Yukari asked no one in particular.

"She'll be here soon." Answered Junpei, who sitting on stairs.

Yukari then looked up to the dark, eerie green skies, "There's a full moon tonight... But, it look even creepier during the Dark Hour..."

Then they heard a motorbike.

Mitsuru had a motorbike. One that worked when everything else didn't. "It's special. Made by Kirijo Group" She told Junpei, who question her about how her motorbike can still function in the Dark Hour when the others already know.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, but listen carefully..." Mitsuru turned toward them, "Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

Junpei looked worried, "Are you serious!? Isn't that dangerous...?"

"Don't worry." Mitsuru reasured him, "No electronic equipment is operate during the Dark Hour, including the monorails."

"But, your bi- oh right... special."

She nodded, "Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you guys immediately." She then looked toward her wristwatch, which also seem 'special' too, "Let's get started."

They all nodded to her while chorussed, 'okay' at the same time.

* * *

(_Dark Hour - Railway_)

After exploring the railway for a while, they finally found a stopped monorail on the railway.

"This is it... Right?" asked Yukari.

Hamuko looked at the monorail, "I think so..." she feel that there's something off about the train but can't figuring out what it is.

"_Can you all hear me?_" Mitsuru voice can be heard through communicator on their ear.

Yukari nodded, "Yes, we can hear you clearly." She answered, "We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary..."

Hamuko want to deny Yukari's answer because she had an odd feeling about the train, but what it is, she couldn't remember. She looked toward her twin brother, who have a thinking look while observing the train.

"_The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together._" Mitsuru informed them.

"Got it." Yukari answered.

Junpei smirked, "Heheheh, my persona's just beggin' to be used!"

Yukari decided to climb into the train first, as if remembered something, she looked down toward the three male persona users. "Don't. Look. Up." She warned them as her left hand lowered her skirt.

After Yukari climb up and followed by Junpei and Souji, then Hamuko, who hesitantly climbing it. Minato then finally noticed something what was bothering him about the train, then he raised his point while start to climb the ladder.

"You know, Me and Hamuko sneaked in and out of trains during the dark hour all the time." Minato didn't want them running away before it happened. "And in all the years we did it," he continued, climbing the ladder, "Not once have the doors been open when the train wasn't in station." he climbed in and the doors closed behind him.

And then everybody went panicked.

Yukari looked around panickly.

Junpei started sweating and his legs began to trembling.

Souji face-palming himself for not noticing it sooner.

Hamuko glared at her twin brother for not mentioning it to them while at the same time feeling herself so stupid.

Minato just shrugged off Hamuko's glare, "Come on," he said, "The Shadow's trapped us, so we got to kill it if we want to leave."

"_That is correct __Arisato__._**"** Mitsuru was providing support. **"**_The Shadow is at the other end of the train. Move with caution."_

"R-Roger." The military term sounded forced coming from Yukari. "Let's go."

They moved forward. Yukari and Junpei seemed disturbed to the transmogrified coffins. While Souji looked at the coffin with slight interest. As for Minato and Hamuko, they already used to it.

The five of them proceed to the next carriage while walking catiously, Junpei began to complain, "What the heck? I don't see any shadows..."

"It's so quiet it's creepy..." muttered Yukari.

A Shadow suddenly fall from above, making Souji and Minato stabbing upward pure on reflex while Souji because of his instinct.

"What the hell man!?" Junpei seemed mad at the two for some reason. "You let it get away!"

Minato and Souji looking forward and surely there it is, a Muttering Tiara shadow waving at them behind the next carriage's door

Junpei reached for the door handle but Minato grabbed his wrist. "What the hell Minato!?"

"_Something's not right_**," **Mitsuru pointed out, **"**_The enemy is acting strangely…"_

Junpei almost lost it there. "But if we don't go after it, it's gonna get away!"

_**"**__Aris__a__to, you're in charge over there. What do you think?"_

"We should be careful." Minato answered, "It would be foolish to blindly chase after it, so-"

"Who needs your advice?" Junpei pushed Minato in the chest a fair few feet, "I'll kill it myself!" With that, he ran through the door, slamming it behind him.

"Junpei-kun! Wait!" Hamuko shouted to Junpei

"Idiot!"

_**"**__Watch out, behind you!"_

Minato span around in time to block an attack headed for Yukari and him, making the shadow explode into four Muttering Tiara Shadows. Each shadow have set their target, which is made this equal number for the four persona user to figh one on one to each shadows.

The training result from exploring the Tartarus seemed to paid off. Without summoning their Persona, each of them managed to kill the shadow without broke a sweat.

After the battle was over, they regrouped, sighing in relief, while Yukari sighed for a different reason, "This is just what the enemy wanted..."

Hearing that, Souji froze, "What did you just say, Yukari-san?"

Yukari looked at him, "This is just the what enemy wanted?"

Souji began to thought, '_What __they __wanted__? But the shadows were just mindless drones… unless…__A shadow with significant power or rank can think and command other shadows. I noticed that all three of the shadows we'd seen that night had been of the Priestess.__Last month they were all Magician_.'

"Mitsuru Senpai, can you scan ahead and determine the Arcana of the large shadow?" Souji asked Mitsuru with a serious tone.

"_It's the Priestess, why?"_

It was lucky that Souji bought a Tarot deck recently after he lost his previous deck. He then started to open the book that came with it and noted the other's curious glance.

"Umm Sou-chan, I think this is not the right time to read a book now."

"Believe me, this will be usefull." Souji answered, searching the correct page on the book, "Any later and this'll be meaningless. There, Priestess."

_Portrayed as an old woman with a closed book, the Priestess Arcana is a symbol of hidden knowledge or other untapped power, wisdom, female mystery and magic when it appears in tarot readings. The Priestess means someone with knowledge and wisdom, yet the reversed version of it means someone unable to use that knowledge or someone not able to take decisions._

"Great," said Souji, putting the book away. "This shadow is smart."

That confused the other, so Souji decided to summaring it, "Priestess represents hidden knowledge and wisdom. They're based of Tarot cards."

"_While I interested about the teory, You all have to go after Iori, or you'll be picked off one by one._"

"Dammit, Stupei! What are you thinking!?" Yukari yelled in anger as the four of them dashing through the door of the next carriage.

Other side of the door had Junpei surrounded by half a dozen shadows. Wasting no more time, Minato, Hamuko and Souji rushed to help him while Yukari provinding attack from distance with her arrow.

"Guys!?" Junpei seemed shocked to see them. "What the hell-?"

"Idiot," Minato told him as he and Hamuko grabbed their evoker then summoning their persona

"Orpheous!"

"Eurydice!"

With a sound of breaking glass, the two respective persona appeared. Clutching his lyre, Orpheus began smashing the nearest shadows into pulp while Eurydice playing her heart shaped lyre and burning the shadows with Agi spell.

"Izanagi!" Souji shouted. Summoning his own persona, which then cleaving the remaining shadows in half with his sword.

As they're sure no more shadow were attacking, Minato looked at Junpei, "You okay?"

Junpei huffed and looked away. "O-Of course I am... I was doin' just fine..."

"Excuse me!?" Yukari yelled.

"_Be careful you __all_**," **Mitsuru interjected, **"**_I don't detect any movement, but stay__ alert!_**"**

"We don't see any shadow right now, it should be fine." Said Hamuko, "What else the worst possibly happen to us?"

As if the fate was mocking her, the train started moving.

"Woah, What the-!?" Junpei asked, "...Why are we moving!?"

Minato looked at his twin sister, "You realize that you're just jynxed us didn't you...?"

_**"**__It seems like the monorail is under the enemy's control."_

"Waddaya mean, 'It seems'!?" Yukari started panick.

Then the train sped up, as if to spite her.

"Uh... This doesn't look good" said Junpei. His face covered in sweat.

"_If we can't stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!_**"**

"WHAT!?" Yukari screamed. "Oh God! What are we gonna do!?"

"_Calm down and listen._**"** Mitsuru tried to regain control. **"**_I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we're after. You'll have to defeat it to stop the train._**"**

"What kind of messed-up ride is this!?" Junpei yelled.

"How long do we have?" Souji and Minato asked at the same time, ignoring Junpei.

"_Three Minutes_."

"Let's get moving then!" Minato ordered. Then more shadows came to block their path, "Don't bother with your weapons, JUST USE PERSONA!" so he put his Evoker to his head while running.

"IZANAGI!"

"ORPHEOUS!"

"IO!"

"EURYDICE!"

"HERMES!"

The result was fire tornadoes and thunderstorm, destroying the shadows.

"_Two minutes Forty seconds__!_**"**

They reached for the door to the next car, but stopped when saw the huge mass of shadows on the other side.

"_WHAT!? Where did these come from!?_**"**

"We just need to get through. Hack and slash, don't stop. How long do we have?" Minato asked Mitsuru.

"_Two minutes twenty five seconds__!__ The leader's in the compartment after this__!_**"**

Clenching his teeth, Minato closed his eyes, switching his persona and opened the door, pulling the trigger. "JACK FROST! MABUFU!"

A few of nearest shadows frozen in place being hit by the ice spell while the furthest just fell down, making them easy to fight.

"Here's our chance!" Minato turned to see Junpei slice through another Shadow. "LET'S GET 'EM!"

Junpei grinned, charging after the Shadows. "GET BACK HERE YOU SON OF A-"

_**"**__One minute fifty seconds remaining!"_

Hamuko drew her Evoker and pulled the trigger, burning the enemies.

Minato charged and sumonning his persona as he smashing his lyre.

Yukari pointed her evoker to her temple, and attacking with wind spell.

Souji crushed the card on his hand and cleaving the shadows into half.

Junpei sliced through Shadow after Shadow, delivering death with each blow.

They were covered in the black ichor the Shadows left behind.

"_ONE AND A HALF MINUTES! HURRY!"_

There were still over two dozen shadows remaining. Putting the Evoker to his head, Minato roared as he and the other pulled the trigger

"IZANAGI!"

"ORPHEOUS!"

"IO!"

"EURYDICE!"

"HERMES!"

Flaming wind with thunder filled the room, picking off the survivors of their attack. Finally, the room was empty. Yukari collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. "We… We did it…"

"Yeah…" Junpei seemed overwhelmed by it all.

The other stopped too. That was intense.

_**"**__What are you stopping for? THERE'S ONLY SEVENTY TWO SECONDS LEFT TO KILL THE PRIESTESS!"_

They all froze. Not good.

"_SEVENTY!_**"**

They all got moving. Souji smashed the door to the next compartment with his shoulder, not bothering to slow down. They saw a giant woman, her right side was black and her left was white. She wore a cloth between her legs, and her hair fused into the power cables in the walls.

And then it summoned two more Shadows, Tiaras.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Junpei yelled, "IS THIS THE FRIGGIN' BOSS!?"

The Shadows charged for them as the Priestess Shadow launched ice spells. Dodging, Souji asked "What's it weakness?"

"_Hold on._**"** Minato and Souji charged forward and slicing the Muttering Tiara, Junpei slashing through the other. Yukari summoned Io and cast a Garu while Hamuko cast Agi to the Priestess Shadow **"**_It doesn't have one, but the only spells that won't work are Bufu, Mudo and Hama._**"**

"Thanks. Then, EVERYONE! ALL OUT!"

They charged forward, but every time they got close, the Priestess sent them all flying back.

"_Forty seconds left."_

"HAMUKO!" Minato shouted.

"Right!"

""CADENZA!"" both of them shouted the skill's name, as soons as they heard the music, the five of them feeling better and becoming faster. But...

_**"**__You all__ run out of Spiritual Power! You'll have to rely on your own strength for now! Thirty seconds left!"_

Junpei, Yukari, Hamuko and Minato paled and hesitated. Their secret weapon just ran out of bullets, and they're all going to die because they can't kill the Shadow.

It laughed.

The Shadow was laughing at them.

That laugh somehow irked Souji and Minato, ""SHUT UP!"" yelled both of them as they attempting to charge at the Priestess Shadow. But it launced an attack that strike the five of them simulatenously right in the stomach. Making them dropped their weapons and fell to the floor.

_**"**__One Strike!? Come one! Get up! Twenty two seconds left!"_

"Dammit..." Junpei cursed while clutching his stomatch.

"Is this it...?" Minato muttered, "Are we going to die like this... in here..."

Souji, who tried to stand up, froze after hearing Minato said that. An image of his old friends and lover die in front of him in the hand of Izanami appeared in his mind, "_No... No. NO! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! I WILL GET STRONGER! STRONGER TO PROTECT WHAT IS PRECIOUS TO ME! I SWEAR I WON'T LET THAT HAPPENED AGAIN THIS TIME AROUND!_" he shouted on his mind. A sudden rush of adrenaline flowing into his body. Unconsciously, he activated his eyes as he begin to get up and then grabbed Minato's Gladius with his left hand, his right hand gripped the Zanpakuto Sword tightly, with that he charged ahead toward the Priestess Shadow, ignoring the shout from his friends.

The Shadow launching an attack again, thankfully, because the effect of skill Cadenza still active, he maneuvered his body easily to dodging the attack.

As soon as Souji in front of the Priestess Shadow and shouted, "STARBURST STREAM!" with that, he making a horizontal swing from left to right with the right sword, immediately followed by an uppercut with the left sword. Souji then jumps up and slashes the Shadow with both swords from left to right while spinning, twice. After landind , facing the target and slashes an X from top to bottom, before inversely slashing the X again from bottom to top. He then leaps at the target and makes two diagonal slashes from the same starting point, with the left sword heading from top to bottom to the left, while the right sword heads from bottom to top toward the right.

Not giving any chance for the shadow to scream in pain, Souji reverses his grip on the two swords and slashes another X with both swords from top to bottom. He then does a barrel-roll like maneuver while slashing at the target, like a corkscrew. Then slashes another two X's at the Priestess Shadow, first from top to bottom and then bottom to top. He then makes a diagonal slash with the right sword, top-right to bottom-left, then spins left and uses this momentum to deal a horizontal, right to left slash with the left sword. Souji then, at a very high speed, makes an uppercut with the right sword; then another with the left sword, a downward slash with the right sword, then a downward diagonal slash towards the right with the left sword, spins and repeats the previous attack, and thrusts the right-handed sword out. With final slash is a forceful downward lunge with the left sword.

With that combo attack, The Priestess Shadow instantly dissolved into a black mass, sign that its alrady dead while at the same time the two swords that's Souji held broke into multiple pieces. Souji then fell back to the floor, panting, "J... Just what happened...?" he asked to no one, confused about how he could do such a move.

The others looking at Souji in amazement and awe because the display of sword-skill that Souji has done to the Priestess.

Junpei got up first "Did-Did we stop it..?" he fell back down as the train shook. "HEY!" he panic. "Why're we still moving!?"

"We're going to fast!" shout Yukari, "We have to put on the brake or else...!"

"_What are you waiting for!? There's a train up ahead!_"

Minato began to get up and ignore everyone's rising panic as he ran into the drivers compartment. He squeezed past the coffin to the controls and saw the train already up ahead.

He quickly grabbed the nearest lever and pulled it.

The train began to scream in pain, but it was too late. The two trains hit, and the world turned white.

* * *

"I told you already." Said a familiar voice. "I'm always with you…"

* * *

When Minato vision cleared, his head was resting on the controls, bleeding. Then he check to the others.

"D-Did we stop...?" Junpei asked no one as he getting up with shaking legs.

"I-I think so..." answered Hamuko.

"_Is everybody alright!?" _Mitsuru asked, sounding worried.

"Uh, y-yeah, we're okay." Answered Yukari as she also getting up, "Ha, haha... My knees are shaking..."

"Dude... I'm like drenched in sweat..."

"_I'm so glad you're safe… I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end…"_Mitsuru seemed really sincere about that. **"**_I don't detect any more shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home."_

"What about the other train? Don't we need to stop that too? We don't know whether or not this train was in reverse or not."

_**"**__I do. That train just left the station in the direction it was headed. Everything is fine. Thanks to the mild collision, we can easily explain the damage done to the train."_

Hearing that, they all sighed in relief. Yukari then turned to Minato, "But, how did you know which one was the brake?"

Minato shrugged, "It was a lucky guess really."

Junpei looked surprised, "Are you kidding me!? Ah, whatever." That seemed cheer Junpei up somehow, "Wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm freakin' hungry!"

"Yeah... I could have one right now." Souji said.

Then all eyes were on Souji.

"Wh-What?" he asked them.

"Souji-kun..." Minato stared at him, "How do yo learn a skill like that?"

"Huh?"

"You know, when you shouted 'STARBURST STREAM' and doing that amazing move to defeated that shadow!" Exclaimed Junpei.

"Oh, that... To be honest, I actually didn't know how I can do such a thing." Souji answered sheepishly while rubbed the back of his head

"But it's looks like you have been mastered that skill for a long time!?"

"While I'm also curious about what happened, its just like my body just moving on its own. That's what I can describe." Souji answered honestly, "Or maybe it's because of the punishment...?" he muttered slowly.

"Punishment?" Junpei asked.

Souji shook his head, "Nothing, let's get to the dorm, I'm really hungry."

* * *

(_Command Room – Dark Hour_)

"Akihiko's here." He said to the communicator

"_This is Mitsuru. We've succesfully completed the action. The monorail didn't sustain any noticeable damage_." Mitsuru said.

"Thank you, Mitsuru." Ikutsuki thanked her, "When I heard they'd hijacked a monorail. I feared the worst. Well done." Ikutsuki smiled as he then sit on the chair, "Now, I don't have to worry about tomorrow's headlines."

"_The team did a great job._"

Akihiko looked to Ikutsuki, "But, what are the shadows up to?" he asked, "Taking over a monorail... This is getting out of hand."

"I'll be looking into the matter." Ikutsuki replied.

"_Does this mean... it's begun?_" Mitsuru asked.

"Hmmm... Let's not jump to any conclusions." Ikutsuki answered, "For now, we should study their behavior for patterns or clues. We cannot afford to always wait for them to make the first move."

"_If I had more power, things wouldn't be so difficult for the others_."

Ikutsuki shook his head, "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing fine. More importantly..." he paused as he looked toward Akihiko, "Do you have anything to drink, Akihiko?"

"Huh...?" Akihiko then noticed something about the chairman, "Why do you look so tired, Ikutsuki-san?" realization then come to his mind, "Wait... Don't tell me that bicycle outside is yours!"

Ikutsuki nodded tiredly, "Boy, am I gonna be sore tomorrow!"

* * *

**Author Note:**

**4680 word for this chapter, not bad.**

**Again, ****I apologize again for ****grammatical error, and ****mistyping..****.**

**No one answered my question on my previous Author Note...**

**It's fine, really...**

**Well, ****give me what your thought about this fic****.**

**I will answered it truthfully and with honest answer from me.**

**Please review, favorite and follow. Oh! And I also accept critics and advice!**

**See you guys in the next chapter!**


End file.
